Family Matters Last of EOTD Trilogy
by FFcrazy15
Summary: Ti and Po can't seem to tie the knot, Viper's dad arranges a match, Crane learns his past, Láng's parents want her back, Shifu's been disowned, a princess and her maid are hunted, & Ah-lam's old enemy wants Po dead.*sigh* Don't they ever get a break?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

**June 20, Jade Palace (Approx. 4:00 a.m.)**

Tigress shifted slightly in her bed and opened her scarlet eyes.

It was still dark out, from the looks of the moon's position probably not even five in the morning. The gong obviously hadn't sounded, so what had awakened her?

She glanced around the room for anything that might have brought her from sleep. Her room was very spartanly decorated, with only a hard bed and a small wardrobe in which she kept her clothes, a few books, her writing supplies, and a picture from the Winter Festival six months previous.

Having spotted no one, she sat up and brushed back the thin blanket. Her sleeping clothes- a red vest and black pants much like her training wear, only looser and unembroidered- rustled slightly as she stood and walked to the door, limping slightly.

While it would have taken most people four to six months to heal a broken femur, Tigress had managed it in the time of two. She still walked with a slight limp, but anyone who said she was any less of a warrior because of it (and there were those who had tried) were immediately treated to a dose of some of the best Kung Fu in China.

She opened the door, scanning the barrack's corridor. What was it that had woken her up?

That was when it hit her: she was getting married today. No wonder she had woken up. She smirked slightly, realizing that it wasn't an assassin of some sort; how could she have forgotten the date?

She walked a few rooms down and pushed the door open. She smiled softly at the sight of the small wolf asleep there; she was under the opinion that Láng never looked so sweet as when she was asleep.

_Hey,_ a voice said from behind her.

She didn't even look over her shoulder; she knew his voice well enough, and besides, who else could talk to her through her mind? _Good morning, Po._

Two furry arms wrapped around her from behind, and she put her own paws over them. _Today's the day, huh?_

_Hm. Finally,_ she said, turning around inside his hug and smiling at him. Then, her smile faded, and she embraced him tightly.

Po blinked, surprised. Then he realized what it was. _Tigress? Are you worried?  
>No, of course I'm not,<em> she said, trying to sound confident. The panda saw right through it anyway.

_ Yeah, well, if it helps any, I'm freaking out,_ Po admitted, grinning. _Hey, at least after it's all over, we can be all terrified and awkward about it together._

Tigress chuckled.

They broke apart and glanced over at Láng. She was, for all technicalities, Tigress' daughter, but the wolf girl called Po 'Baba' anyway. After all, in a few hours' time, that would all be changing.

_She's seriously adorable,_ Po said.

Tigress nodded and said, _She's changed so much._

_ So have you,_ Po pointed out. _You were all 'strong and silent' when I first met you-_

_ Fell out of the sky in front of me,_ she corrected.

_-And now you've gone all softy on me,_ he said with a grin.

_That is __not__ my fault,_ she countered. _You have that effect on people._ She looked at Láng, and Po could see the kind maternal look in her eyes. _She's become much better at her dominoes, too. She's at the butterfly pattern already; I think she'll be ready for the Yin-Yang pattern soon._

_ Aw, look at you!_ Po teased again. _You're a doting mother._

_ Hmph. And you're the loving almost-father._

_ Give it a few hours. Then I can be the best dad ever._ He grinned and leaned down, about to kiss her.

"Mh-hm," someone coughed behind them. Both of them whirled around.

"Oh, uh, Master Shifu," Po said, embarrassed. "Sorry, we were, uh…"

"I can assure you, I am quite aware of what you were about to do," Shifu said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He was dressed in his usual robes, as if he'd been up for quite some time, and he had a small bag slung around his shoulders. Po caught a glimpse of paper.

"Good morning, Master," Tigress said, much less flustered than the panda. She and Po stepped back out into the hall, and she closed the door. "May I ask why you are here?"

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "Can't a grandfather visit his granddaughter occasionally?"

"You have no idea how weird it is to hear you say that," Po muttered.

"Hmph. And you have no idea how disturbing it is for my daughter to have a child of her own, when a year ago she didn't so much as know your name."

Po went very red at that and didn't respond.

There was a moment's pause, before Tigress said quietly, "Forgive me, Master, but why are you really here?"

Shifu glanced away, and said with a sigh, "I received a… disturbing letter, and I was hoping that a walk would clear my mind. I heard noises, and decided to check."

"Oh… so, you want to talk?" Po said, obviously not getting the weight of whatever situation had arisen.

Shifu's eyes twitched, and he was about to really let the panda have it, before he realized that it could possibly help him. "Perhaps it would calm my thoughts. Could we go somewhere more private?"

"Of course," Tigress said, and led them back to her room. She lit a lamp, setting the room alight with a comfy glow.

"So, Master Shifu, what's wrong?" Po said, sitting down on the edge of Tigress' bed.

"This," the red panda said, and took a letter out of his bag. He handed it to Tigres.

She read it aloud in a quiet, even tone:

"' To the Grand Master Shifu, heir to the title of the former Grand Master Oogway, keeper and instructor of the Jade Palace and its students,

You are hereby formally and legally disowned from the Jin family, due to mental instability and having dishonored our family through the continued courtship of a shameful woman. Please note that this means you shall not receive any inheritance from us. We are also asking you never to contact us, nor to meet with us on anything other than political terms.

Sincerely,

Lord Huang-fu Jin, former rulerof Záng Yí.'"

Tigress finished reading and looked up, her look one of stunned disbelief. "Master, I- I'm so sorry."

Shifu closed his eyes and grimaced. "Don't be," he said, though his voice wavered slightly. "It is not your problem."

"Of course it is, Master Shifu," Po said. "I mean, we're your students and all, and in a few hours I'm going to be your son-in-law. We're practically family!"

"Hmph. I've got another four hours before I have to hear you say that; don't you dare push it on me until that time." He smirked a little. Then, his face fell once again. "Please excuse me; I know it's your wedding day, and I shouldn't burden you with my problems."

"Naw, Master Shifu, it's totally fine. You know we're always here for you," Po said, grinning slightly.

Shifu's lips twitched slightly into a small, sad smile, and he bowed. "Thank you, Dragon Warrior."

"Have you told Ah-lam yet?" Tigress asked. The mountain cat had arrived the previous day for the wedding.

"No. I did not wish to awaken her with such news."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Po said. "Man, I still can't believe they disowned you just for going out with her. I mean, seriously, it's not like you turned into a serial killer or something."

"My father was always very prejudiced when it came to matters of race. To have their own son courting someone outside his species must have been a huge dishonor." Shifu sighed slightly and took the letter back. "Once again, I am sorry for disturbing you, though you have my thanks for listening to an old man's woes."

"Aw, not _that_ old," Po said, punching the other panda slightly on the shoulder.

Shifu chuckled. "Thank you. I believe my mind has been set at ease; I shall go back to my own chambers now." He turned around and was about to leave, when Tigress stood up behind him.

"Master… Father, are you sure there's nothing… else… bothering you?"

Shifu stopped for a moment. He glanced over his shoulder at her. "No, Tigress. Why would there be?"

She blinked and sat back down. "I see. Forgive me."

"No need, it's perfectly fine." However, as he closed the door behind him, his face fell again.

He walked out of the barracks and, after making sure no one else was around, sighed and pulled out the other letters Zeng had given him.

There were six in all: one to him, one to Tigress, one to Po, one to Crane, one to Viper, and one to Ah-lam. He knew that he should have given Po and Tigress their letters then, but they were so happy. So excited, so in love… He couldn't ruin that.

Straightening his back, he tucked the other letters back inside the bag. No, not tonight. He'd give them to everyone after the wedding was over; then, at least, they'd have a few hours of happiness before they had to deal with tragedy.

** A/N: Okay… Wow. That was kind of short. And pointless. Basically, I just wanted to get this up there to set the scene and give some foreshadowing. Please don't sue me!**


	2. Chapter 2 The Almost Wedding

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda. Also, my info on ancient Chinese marriages came from http :/ www .chcp. org /wedding. html

Mr./Ms./Mrs. C. R. Meadows, the court has risen the claims of: 1.) Too much humbleness, 2.) Amazing kindness, 3.) Strange use of words, 4.) Too awesome reviews, 5.) Being an amazing supporter and fan, 6.) a tad too much dedication to the story (please, don't jump off any bridges!). Do you plead guilty or non guilty?

Crazy Jaky: why is the dagger bloody? O_O Also, about the attack thing, heh…

brwainer: ACK! You're right! I'll change that, thank you!

**June 20, Jade Palace (Approx. 6:00 a.m.)**

"Get up, get up!"

Something rough and scaly was poking Tigress in the chest. The feline master opened her eyes. "Viper? What's going AHHH!"

The scream, of course, woke up just about everyone in the barracks. The other occupants were treated to the site of the snake pulling Tigress to the bath house, the tiger master barely managing to keep up with her other three appendages as Viper dragged her there by her wrist.

Viper knocked the door open and whipped her tail, throwing Tigress into the water face-first.

SPLASH!

Tigress surfaced, coughing and spluttering. "What- was that- for?" she ground out, blinking profusely to get the scented water out of her eyes.

"It's your wedding day!" Viper said excitedly.

"Why on earth am I in a bath that smells like-" she sniffed the air, "-what is that? Grapefruit?"

"Have you been living under a rock? This is what you do when you get married! You take a bath at dawn!"

Tigress stared at her. "That is by far the most absurd thing I've ever heard. And I live with Mantis and Po."

"No, listen! The grapefruit rids you of evil influences, and then you put on new underclothes and sit in front of the dragon-and-phoenix candles."

Tigress growled. "I'm soaking wet! You could have at least allowed me to get undress before you threw me in here!"

Viper blushed. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that."

"You'll have good luck with this marriage," a voice said from behind the feline master.

Instantly, Tigress was out of the water, with her claws one inch from the old sheep. "You've got ten seconds to tell me who you are and what you're doing in the bath house!" she snarled. "Are you a thief? An assassin?"

"Tigress! Let her go!" Viper scolded. "She's supposed to be here!"

"Who is she?" Tigress snapped, without taking her eyes off the terrified sheep.

"She's the good luck woman! She's here to put your… hair… up…" Viper said, her voice slowly fading away as she realized that Tigress had bright orange fur, not hair.

Tigress let the old sheep woman go. "My apologies," she said coolly, and pointed behind her. "The door is that way."

The sheep left, trembling and mumbling about how she was too old for this.

"You really have no idea how this works, do you?" Viper said, staring at the feline with something like amazement.

Tigress rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to? I haven't seen a marriage since… I've never seen one."

Viper sighed. "I suppose I'll just have to help you through it."

"I know parts of it," Tigress said defensively. "I'm aware of what to do at the actual ceremony…"

"But you have no idea on anything else?" Viper said. Tigress shook her head. "Oh dear… it's like trying to teach you how to put on makeup all over again…"

"If you so much as try to make me wear eyeliner, I swear, Viper-"

"Just do whatever I tell you, and we should make it through this alive. Maybe."

Tigress couldn't help but gulp. She'd faced down bandits, thugs, sadistic murderers and evil warlords, and yet somehow, getting through her wedding day was going to be the greatest challenge of her life.

**KFP**

Po struggled down the last few steps, panting. "Will- these- stairs- ever- get- any- easier?" he puffed.

He hurried over to the noodle shop, where his dad was waiting for him excitedly. "Oh, Po, my boy, come here, come here!" the old goose said happily, hugging him. "Oh, I'm so happy, I'm finally going to have grandkids!"

"Dad- dad, come on, please!" Po said, laughing. "Seriously, just help me get the robe on."

"Yes, yes, of course," Mr. Ping said. "Come with me, I've got it right here!" He led him up the stairs to his old room.

The red robe was sitting on his bed, along with the cap. The robe was red, with a red silk sash and a silk ball on the end of the sash. The cap red and decorated with cypress leaves.

"You get it on, my boy," Mr. Ping said softly. "It's your big day."

Po grinned. "Thanks, dad."

The panda came down the stairs a few minutes later, dressed in the red robes with the cap in his hands. He handed it to the goose.

"Right this way, Po," Mr. Ping said, "I have the Heaven and Earth tablets right here, as well as the ancestor one."

"Okay, do I bow to both of them? Since I'm adopted and everything…"

"Yes, yes, of course," Mr. Ping said impatiently. "You're my son, Po! Now go on, bow."

Po bowed to the two tablets, and then to his father. Mr. Ping took the silk ball off the sash and said, "Come with me."

He led him outside, to where the loud cheers of a crowd greeted the panda. Po's eyes widened in amazement, as he recognized not only the little bunnies that Shifu often had him teach Kung Fu to and their families, but also everyone that he and his father had ever served during the Winter Festival. "Whoa, dad, how did you get them all here?"

"Oh, I didn't make them come! They wanted to be here. For _you_," the bird said.

"Wow…" Po said softly. Then, in a louder voice, "Thanks, you guys! You're all completely awesome!"

He was returned with a chorus of "You're welcome!"s and "So are you!"s.

Suddenly, he spotted a couple of ducks and pigs supporting up the bridal sedan chair. "Aw, no way! You guys actually got one?"

"No, Po!" one of the pigs shouted back. "Your dad paid for it! We're just carrying it!"

Po turned to the old goose, stunned. "I... Wow. Dad, thanks…"

"Oh, it's no trouble," the bird said, proud tears welling in his eyes. He put the silk ball on the chair. "I've been saving up for this for years. I'm just so happy you finally met someone special…"

"Yeah, Tigress is about as special as they come," Po agreed. "Come on, guys, let's go!"

**KFP**

Tigress bowed to the ancestral tablets, then stood and turned to Shifu, who was trying (and failing) to hide his proud smile.

"Father," she said softly, and, putting her fist into her palm, bowed to him as well.

"Tigress," he said, and bowed back. "I ask you once more: are you sure that this is what you want?"

"I am," she said, her voice determined. Then, her tone went gentler. "Master, I don't understand…"

"Don't understand?" he said questioningly.

"Why you would allow Po to ask my opinion before accepting the proposal," she clarified. "Most parents would have arranged it without even considering the daughter's wishes."

Shifu smiled slightly. "I am no ordinary parent, and you are no ordinary woman. You are a Kung Fu master, and as such you have the right to determine your own future."

Tigress nodded, and said, "Thank you."

"Come, let us go wait for the Dragon Warrior."

**KFP**

Po huffed, finally climbing up the last few steps. "Ugh… finally."

"Hello, Po," Viper said sweetly.

"Huh? Oh, Viper. Right, I gotta give you some money…" Po said, searching for the little red _ang pau_ packets **(A/N: In ancient China, the bride's friends refused to give her to the groom until he agreed to pay them some money).**

Viper's tail stopped him. "No need, brother. That's not how we do it here."

Po blinked. "Okay… so… I don't have to pay you or anything?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that…"

Confused, the panda looked past her to Tigress, was standing just inside the doors of the Jade Palace, and seemed to be shaking with silent chuckles. He could see her smirk even through the red veil.

He looked back at Viper. "Okay, spill the beans! What've I got to do?"

Viper glanced over her shoulder and flicked her tail. Mantis, Monkey, and Crane all stepped forward. "Nothing much. You just have to get past us."

"You're kidding me, right?" Po groaned.

"Sorry, Po," Tigress called over.

"Okay. Okay, come on and feel the thundah!" Po said putting his hands up while simultaneously praying to the gods he wasn't going to die before he got the chance to marry her.

The four of them charged the panda, who very nearly managed to dodge their first attacks. However, he wasn't so lucky the second time, and ended up nearly falling over.

_Roll! Roll!_ Tigress yelled at him, as he was knocked backwards. He did so, and ended up back on his feet, blocking a kick from Mantis and just barely missing the edge of the stairs.

They battled back and forth, Tigress occasionally offering verbal help when it looked like he was about to get beaten. After a good fifteen minutes, he managed to get close enough to the tiger master to tap her shoulder, and cheered. "WHOO HOO! I WIN!"

_Nice job,_ Tigress thought.

_Thank you._

Viper and the other three bowed to him and backed off. Viper slithered over to Tigress. "Okay, so now, we… oh no…"

"What?" the tiger master said impatiently.

"Well, the good-luck woman is supposed to carry you to the sedan chair, but you kicked her out of the bath house…"

"Carry me? You're not serious," Tigress said, her eyes opening in disbelief.

Viper nodded. "I'd do it, but you'd probably crush me."

The feline rolled her eyes. "Why am I supposed to be carried?"

"Well, your feet aren't supposed to touch the ground-"

"Problem solved," Tigress said simply, and, before Viper could object, she flipped herself into the air. Using the edge of the palace roof as a ledge, she grabbed it with her forepaws, flipped off of it, and landed perfectly on the top of the chair. She sat down as if nothing had happened.

"She never does anything traditional, does she?" Po muttered to Mantis.

"No," the insect agreed.

The pigs carried Tigress to a small house just opposite the barracks. A small red carpet was laid right before the door, and Tigress immediately jumped off the sedan chair. She discreetly passed the four pigs some coins, and then turned to look at the lit stove in the doorway. **(A/N: "****T****he bride was required to step over a saddle or a ****lit stove ****to cross the threshold, since the words for "saddle" and "tranquillity" sound the same,**_** ngan**_**, and the fire would cast out of evil influences.****" {** **http :/www .chcp. org/wedding. html }).**

"Five cookies says that Tigress doesn't just step over it," Mantis whispered to Monkey.

"Oh, you're on," the primate said.

Tigress stepped over the stove.

"Five cookies to me," Monkey said smugly.

"Wait for it…"

"KYAH!" She front snap kicked the stove, shattering it into little pieces before stamping out the hot coals.

"Oh yeah. Five almond cookies, bro. Pay up," said the bug.

People flashed mirror light onto Tigress, while Po lifted up the red veil. Tigress smirked slightly at him.

Mr. Ping lead them to three make-shift alters, one with the heaven-and-earth tablets on it, the second to the Kitchen God, and the final to the family ancestors. Each had a small bowl of fruit and an incense bowl on it. Po relit the incense sticks, and he and Tigress knelt down and bowed to each one.

They stood and turned to Shifu and Mr. Ping, putting their fists into their palms in the Kung Fu style, instead of remaining on their knees. Shifu and Mr. Ping bowed back.

Finally, they turned to each other, the final step of the ceremony. _Ready?_ Po asked.

Her lips twitched slightly. _Ready._

Once again, they put their fists in their palms. Po grinned. They were so close…

"MASTER TIGRESS! MASTER PO! HELP!"

Both warriors turned and looked at the duck that had just come running in through the doors. "Zeng? Is something wrong?" Tigress said urgently.

"Attackers in the Valley!" the messenger said, wheezing. "They're burning houses to the ground and demanding for you to come and fight them!"

"Aw, seriously?" Po said. "Now? Really?"

"China comes first," Tigress said, though the anger her voice was just barely controlled. "Let's go."

"Yeah, you're right. Come on, everyone!" Po called.

Everyone turned and watched as the six students, their master, and Master Ah-lam took off running. There was dead silence for a moment, before Zeng said, "Er… was I interrupting something?"


	3. Chapter 3 LONG chapter! The Letters

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: The stories that Po and Ah-lam tell are seen in the same puppet-cutout way that Po's flashback (and, in TYATY, Tigress') is seen.

In 'Secrets of the Furious Five,' I know that it says "Twenty years ago" right at the beginning of Crane's story. I'm actually changing that to "Six years ago" here. DON'T SUE ME!

Also, I know that in TYATY I said that Master Ah-lam's teacher was female. That is incorrect; he is actually male.

Please note that all the names I come up with for this story are either from http :/babynamesworld. parentsconnect. com/chinese-names. html ( names) and htt p : /ww w .mandarintools. com/cgi-bin /wordlook. pl (word translations).

**June 20, Jade Palace (Approx. 10:00 a.m.)**

"Heheh," the boar laughed, emptying out the purse into his hand. The owner, an elderly rabbit lady, shook behind a cart. "This should get me some good stuff later."

"Excuse me," a voice said from behind him. He turned.

"Hey, princess," he said, chuckling. "Why you all dressed u-"

WHAM! Tigress punched him straight in the face.

"I'm not a princess," she growled, "And next you even _think_ about calling me anything other than Master Tigress, I'll show you what a Kung Fu master can do with a tiara. Understood?"

The boar's head bobbed as if it were being pulled by a string, and then abruptly stopped as Tigress hit him in the temple. "Good," she said, standing up and going for the next attacker, who had seen his buddy hurt and was coming up behind her.

"Wow," Mantis said, after a moment. "I've never seen anyone strangle a wolf that big with her own bridal veil."

"Let's move," Ah-lam said, following the younger feline into the fray.

"Students, forward!" Shifu ordered, and everyone dove straight in.

They battled for a few moments, blocking, striking and disabling any number of attackers. Suddenly, Po saw out of the corner of his eye the main man: a wolf larger than the others, with coarse, dark black hair.

"Tigress, that's the leader!" he shouted aloud, pointing and kicking a boar in the stomach.

Tigress whirled around as a wolf tried to grab onto her and saw who he was talking about. "Could I not have one day, _one day_ where someone isn't trying to kill me?" she muttered to herself, before snapping the wolf's arms and legs. "Po, let's go!"

"Gotcha!"

They managed to fight their way through the crowds to the main ring. Knocking out one last enemy, Tigress stopped in front of the head wolf.

The canine glanced at her, away, and then back, surprised. "Well, who do we have here?" he said, laughing.

"You interrupted my wedding," Tigress said coolly.

"Oh? Too bad," the wolf said, and swung his fist.

It was a blow that Tigress could have easily blocked, and would have, had not something strong and gray-furred knocked her out of the way.

Ah-lam's face contorted into a snarl as she blocked the blow, and then slammed her fist straight into the wolf's solar plexus so hard that he flew backwards and landed on his back. Wasting no time, she immediately pounced forward, digging her knee into his chest and unsheathing her claws.

It was as if a bubble had erupted around the four of them: Po, Tigress, the wolf, and Master Ah-lam, who seemed to have transformed from the usual graceful master into something you didn't want to get within ten feet of.

"Hello, Cái," she said in a low, dangerous voice.

The wolf's mouth moved open and closed, as if it couldn't quite remember how to work. "Ah-lam?" he gasped finally.

"Why are you here? Who sent you?" she demanded. "Was it Ju-long?" **(A/N: 'Powerful; gigantic dragon').**

"I- I-"

"Answer me!"

"Yes!" Cái choked out. "Master Ju-long- he wants-"

"Speak clearly, wolf, or I'll take out your tongue!" Her tone was dead serious.

"Ju-long sent me! He wants to fight the Dragon Warrior! He wants the panda dead, and he sent us to bring you to him!"

Ah-lam snarled, before jumping up and bringing Cái with him by the ring of fur around his neck. "You go tell Ju-long that if he wants a fight, then it's going to be between us, just like last time. The Dragon Warrior has no part in this. Understood?"

"Y-yes Master Ah-lam! Completely understood! B-but he said he sent you a letter- a letter, explaining everything! Please, Ah-lam, don't- don't hurt me!"

The feline growled, and then let go. She yanked back her cloak (Shifu had gotten her a new one) and pointed at the scars.

"You tell Ju-long that he's going to pay for every one of these, one way or another. We have unfinished business. You take your friends and get out of here, and I don't want to see your face in this valley again."

"Yes, Master Ah-lam! Right away!" He scrambled for a small horn that hung on a string at his chest, and blew it as hard as he could. The other attackers stopped fighting and looked at him, surprised.

"Retreat!" he ordered. "Retreat immediately!"

The others all followed orders, following their leader as he hauled tail away from the village as fast as he could. The streets were left in a state of minor destruction, full of dust and small rubble.

Shifu was the first to speak. He walked up the feline and said quietly, "Let us go home. I have news for all of you…"

"Yes, Grandmaster," Ah-lam said, her voice back to its normal gracefulness and elegance, but there was something razor sharp about it, a hint of icy bitterness that made everyone but Shifu take a step back.

The grandmaster watched her sadly for a moment, before he turned and walked away silently. Ah-lam followed him without another word, and the other six straggled behind.

**Jade Palace, Kitchen Table**

"This is what I need to show to all of you, what I should have given you last night," Shifu said, and pulled six letters out of the bag. "One to Tigress, Po, Viper, Crane, Ah-lam, and the last to myself." He closed his eyes for a moment, and then said, "I have not read them, but from my own and the addresses I believe I know what they are about… Three are from Master Ju-long, one is from Master Jung, one from Master Viper, and one from the Emperor. I received them last night, but hesitated to give them to you because of the wedding. That was my mistake." He gestured to the mountain lion. "Ah-lam, perhaps you could read yours first."

"Yes, Grandmaster," the cougar said, and, breaking the seal on the letter, unfolded it and read:

"'To Master Ah-lam, head instructor of the Li Da Academy and its students,

I, Master Ju-long, hereby order you to deliver the Dragon Warrior to me by June 31st, at the absolute latest, for a battle between the two greatest warriors in all of China. If you do not do as requested, my men and I will storm the Valley of Peace, destroying every last man, woman, and child that get in our way. We will use any means necessary to bring down the Jade Palace, and everyone within will be punished.

I am sending some of my men to collect the Dragon Warrior and his bride-to-be, Master Tigress. Yes, we know about the Eye of the Dragon, and have taken measures accordingly. Do not instruct the two of them to use it, or you will all suffer the consequences.

Remember: bring me the Dragon Warrior, or China will perish.

Signed,

Master Ju-long, the Greatest Warrior in All of China.'"

She looked up. "That explains a great deal."

"Yeah, like the attack today," Po agreed. "And seriously, someone else who wants to kill me? Come on, what did I ever do to him?"

"Nothing, aside for becoming the best, most revered fighter in the nation," said Ah-lam.

"Uh… okay what?"

"Allow me to explain." The mountain cat closed her eyes for a moment, organizing her thoughts. Then, she opened them again, and began.

**Story**

"Before Grandmaster Shifu was invited to the Jade Palace to train, Grandmaster Oogway had another number of students under his instruction, the best of which went by the name of Master Anmíng **(Peaceful Country)**. When Master Anmíng had learned nearly everything that Oogway could teach him, the Grandmaster sent him to create a school of his own. Master Anmíng did so, and named the school the Li Da Academy.

"I began to train under him forty-five years ago, when I was fifteen years of age. At that time, there was any number of students along with me, one of whom was a wolf named Ju-long.

"Ju-long had the same dreams as any Kung Fu master would: to become a powerful master and to bequeath his skills and experience unto another, whether it be a student or a child of his own. However, he let these dreams take too much control of him, to the point where they turned his soul dark.

"He began to train in unorthodox, even evil ways: picking fights on the streets with anyone that looked as strong as him, taking prisoners from the local prisons and training on them. He also began to desire every woman around him, even ones that could bear him no children to take up his legacy, which had been his original dream. As the only female student in the Li Da academy, and the only one he was regularly around, he began to focus his attentions on me." Ah-lam sighed, and nobody missed how Shifu's eyes narrowed at her words. "His advances became more and more aggressive, until the point where I flat-out told him that I held no affections for him of any sort. It was at that point that he became exceptionally angry with me, and tried to fight me.

"It was a very close match, and on my part a narrow win. I nearly died, but I managed to escape his finishing blow with only the numerous scars on my shoulder and chest. At that point, I was able to beat him on luck alone.

"He could not bear the shame, in his mind, of being defeated, and by a female no less. He immediately left the Academy. After that, I continued to train, and even became the Master of the Li Da Academy. I never saw him again, but at least once a year, one of my students would mysteriously disappear, leaving behind only this symbol: Ju-long's sign." She lightly scratched a 爪 (zhua), or 'claw', in the table. "Cái was one of those students.

"Over the years, there were rumors about him, rumors that soon were confirmed as fact. He repeatedly took wives, expecting them to bear him children. Unfortunately, his first three wives bore him only stillborn sons. He had them all executed in turn. The fourth and fifth were barren and could give him no children; they, too, were killed.

"The last, by the name of Chu-hua **(Chrysanthemum)**, was the only one to give him a living baby: a small baby wolf, born about six years ago. Unfortunately, the child was a girl. The mother was executed, and one of his men was sent into the forest to kill the girl. That is the last I've heard of him."

**End Story**

Shifu nodded as she finished. "Tigress, I believe you can help us with the next bit. Would you read your letter aloud?"

"Yes, Master." She broke the seal on hers, and began to read. "'To Master Tigress, Leader of the Furious Five and Betrothed of the Dragon Warrior,

I, Master Ju-long, order you to relinquish your custody of my daughter. I am well aware that you have her in your possession at the Jade Palace, and I demand that you return her immediately. If you do not, I shall come and remove her from you myself. She is recognizable by a birthmark on the back of her neck. It is covered with white fur, and is in the exact shape of a crescent moon, so don't try to pretend that she isn't the one we're looking for.

Signed,-'"

She stopped; her voice was shaking too much to continue. She took a few breaths, and said in a low growl, "'Signed, Master Ju-long, the Greatest Warrior in All of China.'"

Everyone was looking at her, their mouths agape. Tigress suddenly pushed her chair back. "Láng!" she shouted, her voice carrying through the kitchen and out into the rest of the Jade Palace. "Láng, come here!"

There was a pause, before a quick pattering of pawsteps could be heard. Láng burst into the room. "Niang? Is something bad?"

Tigress knelt down, looking the wolf right in the eyes. "Listen to me, Láng: Do you remember anything of your birth parents? Anything at all?"

Láng's face contorted for a moment as she thought, and then she closed her eyes with a sharp cringe. "Daddy, he was talking to someone… and then everything was so green… And then the someone pulled out a l-long kn-kn-knife…" She buried her face in Tigress' fur.

Tigress wrapped her arms around the wolf. "It's fine now, Láng. You're safe now."

Láng whimpered something that no one could understand. Tigress held her there for a moment, before she said softly, "Láng, I need to see something. Could you turn around?"

The wolf hesitated, and then complied. She broke free of Tigress' embrace and turned. There, on her back, was the white birthmark in the shape of a crescent moon. Tigress examined it for a moment, hoping that perhaps it wasn't a crescent at all, and then leaned back with a sigh. "Thank you, Láng. You may leave if you wish."

Láng sniffled, and then said, "Niang? Can I stay here with you?"

"Yes, you may." Tigress sat back up onto the chair, and pulled Láng up with her.

"As you can see, it's undoubtedly her," Shifu said with a sigh. "I would assume that Ju-long has become too far up in his years and is unable to have a child, and also does not wish to adopt. Therefore, he wants his… daughter… back." The word 'daughter' sounded bitter, as if he understood what was happening more than anyone else in the room. "I think this brings us to my letter." He, took out his letter, which was already opened, but did not read it right away. "Despite his inability to sire another child, Ju-long still wants a wife, as a sign of his position. And who better than to make his bride than the Emperor's daughter?"

"The Emperor's daughter?" said Monkey, surprised.

"Yes. Or, rather, his adoptive daughter, Mei Xing **(Beautiful Star)**. Our emperor is a kind man, for which we are lucky; many before have not been so good to his people. I believe that he found the girl on the streets as an orphan, took her in, and raised her as her own. In any case, he received a letter a few days ago, informing him of Ju-long's 'request.' He immediately wrote me, asking for the girl's protection." Shifu unfolded the letter. "'To the Grand Master Shifu, heir to the title of the former Grand Master Oogway, keeper and instructor of the Jade Palace and its students, and my old friend,

I received a letter a few days ago from a wolf by the name of Master Ju-long. He has demanded my daughter's hand in marriage by the end of the month. I need you to protect my daughter from this suitor, and I am also requesting that you remove this threat from my country.

My daughter and her maid, Hui-ying **(Wise, Intelligent, Clever)**, will be arriving by the morning of the 21st of June, if not the evening of the 20th.

You have my thanks, old friend,

His Majesty Anguó, Emperor of China.'"

He set the letter down, and said, "So as you can see, the princess and her maid will be her either tonight or tomorrow morning. I believe that they are somewhere around your ages, students, and I expect you all to be polite. Understood?"

"Yes, Master," they all said in unison.

"Crane, yours next."

The bird opened his letter with his beak and spread it out on the table. "It's from Ju-long. 'Master Chéng-gong** (Succeed, or Success)**, or, as you are known now, Master Crane,

I am aware that you don't remember me, but you should have an idea who you truly are by the name. You are Master Chéng-gong, presumed dead for nearly six years and a powerful warrior. You are also under my instruction.

I am ordering you, as my soldier, to bring the Dragon Warrior to me, along with the assistance of Master Ah-lam. Do as complied, or the penalty I have given to the mountain cat will be dolled out to you.

-Master Ju-long, the Greatest Warrior in All of China, and your Commander.'" 

There was dead silence for a moment, before Po said, "Okay, what? Crane, are you seriously Chéng-gong?"

"I- I don't know…" the bird said, stunned. "I can't remember anything past six years ago…"

"What?" the panda, said confused.

"Feng- or Crane, as it is- was found in the river near the Academy about six years ago," said Ah-lam. "Master Ox was going to leave him there, but my niece and I convinced him to help Crane."

"When I woke up, I couldn't remember anything," Crane said. "I named myself Feng. Everyone assumed that I was a victim of Chéng-gong's last attack."

"That would make sense," Shifu said, thinking. "But then again, this new explanation might as well… Dragon Warrior, you know more about the different masters than anyone I've ever met. What do you know about Chéng-gong?"

"You actually _want_ me to go all 'Kung Fu Master, whoo hoo!' on you?" Po said, surprised. "Last time I did that, you threatened to throw me down the stairs."

"Yes, that is exactly what I want you to do," Shifu said annoyed. "And I promise not to throw you down the stairs. Now, will you move along?"

"Yeah, no problem!" Po said excitedly. "Give me a moment… okay, I'm good." He grinned, and began his story.

**Story**

"Chéng-gong was the greatest hero-villain to ever exist in China! He was a total bad guy… except for when he was a _good _guy.

"Whenever bandits or tyrants tried to take over a village, Chéng-gong was always the first on the scene. They say that there'd just be a shadow across the moon or sun, and then enemies would start falling left and right! He'd take out all the thieves or whatever, but then he'd demand a ransom from the village. He'd hold villagers captive until the rest of them would pay the money. If the village refused to pay, he'd use his amazing memory-wipe technique, and then knock them out and put them in a nearby river for someone else to find. When the victims woke up, they'd have no clue who they were or where they came from.

"One night, after he'd rescued an iron-working town from attackers and was holding some bunnies captive, the other villagers decided to stand up to him. They snuck up on him and attacked!

"There was a _huge_ battle between the villagers and Chéng-gong. Finally, one of the villagers, a gorilla, was strong enough to match him. They fought, and then Chéng-gong tried to use his mind-wipe technique. The villager dodged the attack and copied the attack on _him_. Chéng-gong grabbed onto the guy at the last moment, and they both flew back into a huge iron-melting furnace nearby. Nobody ever saw either of them ever again."

**End Story**

"It make sense, then," Shifu said quietly, as Po stopped talking. "Technically, Chéng-gong could have flown out of the furnace and survived, but it would have been close. Likely, he would have collapsed in any nearby source of water, and what with the rebounding technique his memories would have all been lost."

There was a moment's silence, while everyone sat there, shocked. Viper was stunned the most of all. How could Crane- the peaceful avian master that, despite his profession, avoided fighting except when absolutely necessary- be one of the greatest menaces that China had ever known.

Crane's mind was reeling. He still couldn't believe that this- this horrible person that Po was describing could actually be _him._ He'd heard about Chéng-gong (obviously he'd been told a great deal, considering that he'd been presumed one of the bird's victims) and had often vowed that, despite them being the same species, he would never be like him. It was literally shocking him out of his mind that he actually _was_ the less-than-savory character.

Shifu was the first to break the silence. "Crane, please understand that we have not in any way lost our trust in you."

The bird didn't respond. Shifu attempted to speak again, but Ah-lam set her paw on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Let's just continue on, shall we?" she said softly.

"Er- yes, of course." He cleared his throat. "Po, yours is next. I believe that yours is from the panda village in the north, so perhaps it is of nicer content."

Po nodded and opened up his letter. Reading slowly, he said, "'Dear Po,

You and I met briefly at Devil's Pass a few months ago. I am your birth father, and I am- am-'" He squinted at the character.

"Inviting," Tigress said gently.

"'-inviting you, your master, and the others to come to the panda village to visit sometime soon. We have much to talk about.

Sincerely,

-Master Jung, Leader of the panda village and your father.'"

He glanced up. "So… I guess that my dad's asking us to come see him…"

"That would work well, then," Ah-lam said. "Ju-long lives in the far north, so the panda village would be on our way."

"Yes, it would," Shifu said. "Viper, yours is last. I believe it's from your father."

Viper smiled and quickly opened her letter. She didn't read it aloud, but as they watched, her face began to fall. After a minute, she put the letter back down on the table.

"Viper?" Tigress said, the first to speak.

"He- he's arranged a marriage for me…" Viper said softly. "I'm going to be married to a young lord."

Everyone stared at her, not believing it. "You're getting married?" Crane said finally.

Viper nodded mutely. "I- I don't understand…"

There was a moment's silence, before Mantis tried to say something to her. "Viper-" he said, but she angrily cut him off.

"No! It's not fair! I spent almost twenty years training here, and now he wants me to come back and get married like a good girl?" Everyone's mouths dropped open; none had ever seen Viper become truly angry before, but now she was _furious._ "Well, I won't! I _won't_ get married! I don't care if he disowns me for it, I'm not marrying some lord that I've never even met!"

"Viper, no one's getting disowned-"

"I love Baba, but if he thinks he can just send me a letter saying I'm getting married, and I'll come home like the good daughter would, well he's wrong! I am Master Viper and I absolutely refuse!"

"Viper, listen to me!" Shifu ordered, making the snake stop. "We will visit your father- his house is on our way- and I promise you, this will all get straightened out. You won't get married to anyone you don't want to, and even if something unfortunate does happen between you two, you will _always_ have a place here at the Jade Palace. Understood?"

Viper nodded, still looking angry. "I- Thank you, Master."

"None needed. Now, calm down and please refrain from breaking anything." He said it all very deliberately, as if trying to settle himself as well as her. "I believe that we all need some time to calm ourselves. You may all return to your rooms if you wish, or you can train or meditate. It's your choice."

Slowly, everyone stood and began to walk away. Po and Tigress both left together, keeping close to the Láng as if trying to protect her from some unseen force. Everyone else went off to their rooms, silent as the dead.

Shifu and Ah-lam alone remained at the table, sitting side by side. There was a moment's quiet, before Shifu said softly, "Ah-lam… Are you all right?"

She sighed. "Only as well as to be expected, considering the circumstances. Undoubtedly Master Crane and Master Viper are doing worse, and I can't even comprehend what Master Tigress must be experiencing…"

The red panda nodded, and then Shifu reached up and awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the rippling scars even through the cloak. Ah-lam closed her eyes in exhaustion.

"I promise you, Ah-lam," he said quietly, "Ju-long will not get away with what he did to you."

"Thank you, Shifu," she said, her voice just as soft.

They stayed like that a long time, just sitting there. Eventually, Ah-lam stood up. "Grandmaster," she said, bowing.

"Master Ah-lam." He did the same, and she walked away.

He watched her for a moment, and then sighed and followed her out.

**A/N: Okay, long chapter! A review on the letters here: Ahlam= Bring Ju-long the Dragon Warrior; Tigress= Give him Láng; Shifu= Protect the Princess; Crane= You're my lead bad guy, so bring me the Dragon Warrior; Po= Come to the panda village; Viper= Come home and get married.**

**Sorry for the length, and please review! Domo arrigato!**


	4. Chapter 4 Princess Mei Xing and Hui Ling

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: Oh, no, no, no, Awesome-sauce12, I didn't leave Monkey out, nor did I leave out Mantis. *Evil grin* Let's just say that the princess and her maid are going to be very, eh, _special._

A/N: C. R. Meadows: 我 不興 領會 你 . 甚 是 你 名言？('I can't understand you. What are you saying?' Next time, please speak in English, or at least have it in traditional Chinese characters, as most translators won't translate pinyin {the use of Latin letters for Chinese characters}. )

**June 20, Jade Palace, Crane, (Approx. 11:30 a.m.)**

Crane gently flicked the brush, tracing the next line of the character. For a moment, he was lost in the inky blackness, the serenity of the word, before the letter he'd received flashed once again through his mind.

The brush jerked, splattering ink droplets all over the paper and ruining the character. He sighed.

Crane wasn't so much of a writer as an artist. His perfect calligraphy was always in high demand from the rest of the Jade Palace's occupants when it came time for the Winter Festival, and often times Tigress would ask him to rewrite a letter for her because her handwriting was so messy. His paintings were also very good.

He closed his eyes and tried to calm his thoughts. It didn't work. Suddenly, images of blood and fire exploded from his mind.

He let out a sharp cry, but the pictures didn't stop. In a desperate attempt to control his racing thoughts, he did the only thing he could think of: he painted.

The ink was hastily spread onto the paper, spraying the floor with black drops. Slowly, as he painted, the horrible thoughts began to slow, and then finally came to a stop.

He glanced down at the paper, gazing at an image he hadn't meant to create. On the paper were blazing flames that almost seemed real, and one scorched, floating feather.

**Tigress and Po (Approx. 11:35 a.m.)**

"And now these."

Láng took the dominoes from Tigress' paw and gently laid them beside the others, making her favorite pattern. It was a crescent moon and two stars.

"Good. Now, just finish the star-"

"Niang?" Láng interrupted. "Is- is someone going to come and take me away?"

"Not if we can help it," Tigress said, glancing at Po.

"Yeah, Láng, no one's going to take you, okay?" said the panda. "Tigress and I aren't going to let them."

Láng nodded and put the last domino down. She lightly tapped the first domino in the line, knocking all the rest down to create the moon and stars. She grinned, and then said, "Let's do 'nother one! A butterfly!"

"Okay, sure," Po agreed. Láng set up the first few dominos, and Tigress picked up another two. Unfortunately, her paws were shaking too bad to place them, and she knocked all the others down.

She stared at them for a moment, and then silently stood, walked out of the room, and closed the door.

"I'll be right back Láng," Po said, and stood up, as well. He followed Tigress out into the hall.

"Tigress?" he said, closing the door.

The tiger master didn't look at him, but her paws were still shaking, even though they were clenched.

"Tigress, are you-"

"They're not taking her away," she said fiercely. "They're never going to get my daughter! I won't let them!"

"Tigress, calm down, alright?" Po said putting his paws on her shoulders. "Nobody's going to take her."

She was about to retort, but something about the look in his eyes made her stop. She breathed in through her nose. "You're right. I can't let my emotions control me. I need to get ahold of myself."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay, just… do whatever you need to do."

She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Slowly, she reached up and took his paw, her heart rate lowering as she found her Inner Peace. After a few moments, she opened her eyes.

"You good now?" Po asked.

She didn't answer, but instead straightened up and allowed her face to return to its usual hard callousness. She let go of his paw and walked back into the room. Po watched her for a moment, knowing that she had once again retreated into herself, and then followed.

**Viper (Approx. 11:45 a.m.)**

Viper sniffled slightly and reread the letter for the fourteenth- or was it fifteenth?- time.

Married? How could he want her to get married? She didn't even know the lord!

But then again, many girls had never met their betrothed until the day of the their wedding. It wasn't so unusual. Perhaps she'd gained a false sense of rights during her time at the Palace.

Then again, she wasn't just a regular girl. She was a Kung Fu master, one of the most dangerous in all of China. She could kill a man ten times her size with one strike. She not only survived, but thrived in shooting jets of flame. Her skills were unmatched by anyone other than her fellow students, and were only inferior to that of her master and his beloved. She deserved respect from nearly everyone around her, even her father (whose skills she had surpassed long ago), and Shifu was right; she had the right to refuse this marriage.

And yet…

She admired and honored her father, not to mention loved him. She knew that she had to refuse, but she also had to do so kindly.

Sighing, she slithered over to a small box in the corner. Flicking it open with her tail, she pulled out her ribbon, holding it in her tail. She spun it experimentally (she hadn't danced with it for a few months), and then, on impulse, began to twirl and flip around the room, laughing.

Slowly, however, the laughter began to fade, and the dance slowed. She pulled the ribbon closer and coiled up with a sigh.

If only should could appease her father now like she had then! But somehow, she didn't think that her father would be as easily pleased by her dances.

She flipped the top of the box up at a right angle and looked at her reflection. Her heart-shape face stared sadly back at her. She sighed softly, blinking her emerald eyes, and then put the ribbons back in and closed the box.

**That Night (Approx. 7:00 p.m.)**

"Good dinner, Po," said Mantis.

"Master Mantis is right; this was delicious as usual," Ah-lam said graciously.

Suddenly, there was a hesitant knocking sound, very soft. Shifu's ears flicked.

"I believe that must be the princess and her maid," he said. He stood up and walked to the back door (which was in the kitchen) and opened it.

Everyone stared at the two women behind it.

The princes, a golden langur who was dressed in a purple robe with white jasmine blossoms, had two bright violet yes and a very soft, slightly accented voice. She bowed to the masters in the female fashion, and said softly, "I am princess Mei Xing. It's an honor to make your acquaintance."

Shifu bowed back. "And I yours, your Majesty. Though I was under the impression that you were traveling with a companion?"

"Oh, she is," an assertive voice said. A small green object they hadn't noticed before jumped off the princess' shoulder, landing a good few feet away on the table and bowing. The female mantis looked up, smiling confidently. "I am Hui-ying, Her Majesty's maid. It's good to meet you."

"Yeah, you too," Mantis said.

"Please, come in," Shifu said.

"Thank you, Grandmaster," said Princess Mei Xing, dipping her head. She stepped inside.

"You want something to eat?" Po offered. "You're probably really hungry.

"Yes, thank you," the Princess murmured, at the same time that Hui-ying said, "And tired. Anywhere we can sit down?"

"Yes, I believe so… Princess, there is a chair over there beside Master Monkey. Hui-ying, if you wouldn't mind sitting on the table?"

"That'd be great. Thank you, Grandmaster." She hopped over to a free space on the table beside the princess, next to Mantis.

"Dinner is served!" Po said, putting the bowls on the table. "Uh… again."

"Hey, a second helping for me, Po!" Viper called.

"One for me, as well," Tigress said, giving the panda a half-smile.

"Sure, no prob," said the panda. He ladled the two women some more soup, and then for Mantis and Monkey as they requested it.

"Excuse me for asking, but… Master Tigress, you wear the robes of a bride, despite their state," the Princess said in a small voice. "Were you married to day?"

"Not quite," the tiger said. "We were… interrupted."

"We?" Hui-ying asked.

Tigress glanced at Po, who went slightly red (he'd changed into his normal pants earlier). "Uh, yeah. See, we were right about to get married, and then some wolves decided to attack, so we had to kick butt instead."

Hui-ying laughed. "You all really are very dedicated to defending the Valley, aren't you?"

"Yep," Mantis agreed. "It's kind of our job."

"Hm. Impressive."

"Speaking of the wedding, I'm afraid that I have some bad news," Shifu said. "We are leaving first thing tomorrow morning, so there will be no time to attempt the ceremony again. My apologies to the two of you, and also to you, Princess Mei Xing and Hui-ying. I'm sure that you are very tired from your journey."

"It's no trouble, Grandmaster," Mei Xing said softly. It was quickly becoming obvious that the princess was very shy and reserved, whereas Hui-ying was sharp as a tack and quick on the draw. Realizing that everyone was looking at her, she ducked her head, embarrassed, and took a small drink of the soup broth.

The conversation continued on for another half hour or so, until Shifu called it to a halt and told everyone to go to bed. "Princess and Hui-ying, you may take the two empty rooms at the end of the hall. I am sorry if they aren't your usual level of accommodations, but I'm sure you'll make due."

"Thank you, Grandmaster," murmured the princess.

"Don't worry, Grandmaster Shifu. We'll be fine," said Hui-ying, grinning. "Thanks for the hospitality!"

"You're welcome." He bowed to them, and left. Everyone else filed out of the kitchen and went to their respective rooms for the night.

"Dude…" Mantis said quietly, hopping onto Monkey's shoulder. "Is it just me, or are the Princess and her maid _smokin'_ hot?"


	5. Chapter 5 AN

**Author's Note:**

** Alright, amigo/as, I have some bad news. I'm going to be going to a place WITHOUT INTERNET for an indeterminate amount of time, and I don't know when I'll be able to post again. I WILL CONTINUE WRITING FAMILY MATTERS, but I may not be able to get chapters up nearly as frequently as I would like. I will post whenever possible, and I am sorry for the inconvenience.**

** ALSO, please note that, due to the lack of internet connection, I WILL NOT be able to check any PMs that come in. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you kept the messages to a minimum.**

** You're cooperation in this matter is appreciated.**

** And now, so that I'm legally allowed to post this on here as a chapter, I will now create this into a small oneshot,** I write.

Suddenly, Po and the Furious Five burst into the room.

"Oh, you guys are earlier than I thought," I say, surprised.

"Come on, Crazy, it's time," Tigress says, looking like she wants to get out of this existence plane as quickly as possible.

"Dude, people were staring at me all the way here," Monkey says under his breath.

"Yeah, it's like they've never seen a talking bug before," Mantis agrees.

"So you're that crazy fan of ours, huh?" Po says, sounding interested.

"Crazy is exactly right. As a matter of fact, it's my name!"

"We know," Tigress says seriously. "And we also know that you're a good martial artist. Do you think you're up to the task of helping us defeat Lord Shen once again?"

"Yep! Damn, though; that peacock should NOT have survived after that cannon fell on him…"

"Yeah, no kidding," Crane agrees.

"We have to go," Tigress interrupts. "Now."

"All right." I turn back to my computer, write peace out, amigos. On the screen, and then uploaded the document. Finally, I posted it onto the Family Matters series. "Okay, now I'm ready," I say, shutting the computer down.

**PEACE OUT, AMIGOS!**


	6. Chapter 6 Ch 5

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: Well, wouldja looky here! I managed to finish another chapter in time before I go! Yay! :DDD

HA! I was messing around on Youtube, and I found the trailer for KFP 2… in DUTCH! Search 'Kung Fu Panda 2 Deutscher Trailer #2 HD' . It is HILARIOUS! (Mainly because it's all in a different language. Tigress sounds so funny!).

**June 21, Jade Palace (Approx. 6:00 a.m.)**

The gong rang throughout the grounds of the Jade Palace, signaling the morning role-call.

Everyone was immediately at their doors, including (surprisingly enough) Po. Everyone, that is, aside from the Princess and Hui-ying.

Shifu quickly walked over to the last two barracks and opened the doors. "Princess Mei Xing and Hui-ying, please awaken."

"He _so_ wasn't that nice to me on my first day," Po muttered.

"He hated you, remember?" Viper answered.

A few moments later, the Princess and her maid were out of their rooms, already dressed (or, perhaps, they had not had time to change the night before, tired as they were from their journey).

"I understand that you are undoubtedly tired from your journey here, but it is imperative that you come with us. Should we leave you hear, word would undoubtedly get back to Ju-long, and you would be in danger."

"Wouldn't it be more dangerous to be heading towards our enemy than to stay away?" Hui-ying asked. Tigress and Ah-lam both hid a smile; obviously, the small insect was no proper, obedient little lady. They would all get along just fine.

"No, it is safer for the two of you to be with us. Hui-ying, you can ride with Master Mantis on Crane's hat. Princess, I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you to walk."

"I will do what you believe is best, Grandmaster," the Princess said her head still ducked.

Shifu looked at her as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of her. He was used to working with confident, outspoken women; the princess was timid and acted as if the best thing she could do was obey orders. "Er… alright, then. We're all ready, so we should be on our way."

They quickly filed out of the barracks and through the courtyard and down the stairs to the arena. Hui-ying laughed under her breath as she saw the slight imprint in the arena ground, and Po went a little red. Tigress glanced at him, smirking.

"What?" he said, defensively.

She didn't answer, but through the connection he could hear in her tumult of thoughts something that vaguely resembled _flying panda_ and _fireworks_.

When they reached the hundred stairs, Mei Xing let out the tiniest breath of a sigh. It was obvious that she did not wish to travel down them so soon after going up, and yet she was too polite to say anything.

As the others raced forward down the stairs, Monkey stopped the princess. "Let me tell you a little trick: going on all fours works better than on two."

Mei Xing blinked. "I- you have my thanks, Master Monkey."

The primate grinned and followed after the others. Mei Xing hesitated a moment, and then copied his movements.

**A few seconds earlier…**

"Hang on," Mantis advised.

"Why?" Hui-ying asked.

"Because Crane likes going full-speed when he flies." In the next instant, both he and Hui-li were forced to shut up and grab hold of the rain hat with their front grasping legs, hanging on for dear life as Crane shot down the stairs like a bullet.

When the bird landed a few seconds later, Mantis said (after catching his breath), "See what I mean?"

"Yeah," Hui-ying said. "That was so cool; I've never gone that fast before!"

"You like going fast?" Mantis said, surprised.

"As fast as possible," Hui-ying replied with a grin. Mantis grinned back.

**That night (Approx. 9:00 p.m.)**

"Students, to the front."

As ordered, the six of them all put down their bowls of Secret Ingredient Soup and stood. Lining up in rank order (Po and Tigress in the lead, and Mantis- the last to join, not including Po- at the end), they bowed to their master.

Shifu stood at the front of the line, looking at each of them and measuring them up. "Sparring pairs: Po and Crane, Tigress and Viper, Monkey and Mantis." (When Po and Tigress fought, the battle could literally last forever, or at least until they ended up in a glaring contest). "Po and Crane, you first."

"Hey, hey, Master Shifu!" Po said excitedly. "Can you and Master Ah-lam fight? 'Cause seriously, that would be SO cool!"

"Perhaps, if you win. Tigress, no helping him, understood?"

"Yes, Master," the feline said, dipping her head.

"And… begin."

Po, of course, made the first move, at which Tigress had to literally bite her tongue to stop herself from shouting at him. Crane easily dodged the blow and took to the skies. There was a moment's wait, before the avian master sent forth a shockwave through the air with his wings, knocking Po on his back. Crane dove forward, attempting to hit Po in the stomach with the flat of his beak (had it been a real fight, he would have gone for a puncture with the sharpened tip).

"Whoa!" Po rolled out of the way just in time, which resulted in Crane swooping up to avoid the ground. Po tried to punch the bird in the beak (stupid as it may sound), but Crane blocked the attack and sent him reeling backwards again.

Po barely managed to stay on his feet. "Oh, it's on!" he shouted. He ran forward and...

And tripped on a rock, falling flat on his fate. Tigress face-pawed.

He still didn't get up. Crane stopped, worried. "Po?"

No answer.

The bird flew forward, landing beside him. "Po? You okay?"

"I- I-" the panda mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"I win!" He jumped up and tackled Crane. The bird didn't even have a chance.

"Ow- Po, you're kneeling on my legs," Crane said, annoyed.

"Dragon Warrior, if you wouldn't mind," Master Shifu said.

"Oh. Sorry, Crane." Po quickly got off of him and helped him to his talons.

"I'm disappointed in both of your performances," Shifu said sternly. "Po, you should not have to use trickery to beat your opponent. Crane, don't lose focus on the goal."

"Yes, Master," both of them said, bowing. "But," Po continued, "I still won. So you and Master Ah-lam have got to fight now!"

"We do not _have_ to. I said perhaps." Po's face fell. "However, if Master Ah-lam agrees, I will concede to your request. Ah-lam?" He glanced at the mountain cat.

"I don't see why not." She stood up and walked over.

"Students, please have a seat," Shifu said, not taking his eyes off the cougar.

They went back to where they had been sitting before and picked up their soup. Po immediately went back to eating his, but the rest of them didn't, waiting to see what would happen.

Shifu and Ah-lam bowed to each other, and then put their paws into ready stance. There was a moment's hesitation, before both attacked at the same instant.

The battle was fast and fierce, what with the two masters being nearly equal in level. Shifu dodged in and out, striking on her legs and torso. Nobody seemed to notice that he purposefully avoided her left shoulder. Ah-lam, on the other hand, didn't land as nearly many blows; however, when she did, they were more effective.

Shifu swung the staff at her. She blocked it, and then kicked at him. He dodged the kick and nailed her one right in the kneecap.

Ah-lam snarled. Pushing off her good leg, she hit him across the face with a flying spinning kick. He fell to the side, but was up in the next instant. "Impressive, Master Ah-lam," he said, aiming a kick of his own.

"Well, thank you." She blocked the kick, and was then treated to a sharp jab in the abdomen with his staff.

She knew she was losing, and so did Shifu. However, she had one tactic up her sleeve that had never failed her. She usually hated doing it- it was extremely dishonorable to cheat in that way- but for whatever reason, she didn't feel so guilty (or awkward) about doing it now.

Shifu backed up slightly, and then raced at her full-speed (which was pretty darn fast). Ah-lam moved to the side, leaving her arm out in front to basically grab the red panda around the stomach. Turning in a 180˚ angle ( so that Shifu's back was towards the direction he'd just been going), she lifted him up and kissed him full on the mouth.

The grandmaster of Kung Fu instantly lost any form of sense he may have had and stopped attacking. Shifu stared at Ah-lam as she dropped him back on the ground. He opened his mouth as if trying to speak, but no words came out. Everyone else stared, as well; Crane's beak dropped open.

Ah-lam smiled serenely, and then hit him hard in the chest with a snap kick, sending him flying backwards.

There was a moment's silence, before Shifu got up and said (in a rather stumbling manner), "Er… y-yes. Unorthodox tactics, but effective nonetheless…"

"My apologies," Ah-lam said cordially, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "It appears I let my desire to win overcome my judgment. It will not happen again."

"Ouch," Mantis stage-whispered. "She's never gonna kiss him again?"

"Shh, she doesn't mean it like that!" Viper hissed at him, but it didn't matter. Shifu was too stunned to have noticed anyway.

"I- er- I see. Yes. Well, then…" He scrambled to find something, anything that could return the situation to normal. "Tigress and Viper, it's you're turn."

The feline and the snake walked/slithered forward. Master Shifu told them to begin, and they started to spar.

"Does this kind of thing happen a lot?" Hui-ying whispered to Mantis and Monkey.

"You mean Master Shifu getting kissed? Yeah, that's probably _never_ happened before," Mantis answered

"Ahem."

All three of them froze, and then looked over their shoulders to see said masters standing just behind.

"Oh, uh, hi, Master Shifu, Master Ah-lam," Mantis said, visibly shrinking down (if that was even possible). "Um, how are things going?"

Shifu gave him a look that was positively polar and ignored the . "I'll assure you that I've been kissed before, unlike yourself."

"Ohhh, burn!" Monkey said, laughing.

"I came over here to inform you that the two of you are up for sparring," Master Shifu continued, "since you have obviously gained some sort of obsession with our love lives and didn't hear me the first, second, or third time."

"And as it happens, Master Mantis, I believe I still have some energy left for the night, and I would like another spar." Just as Mantis opened his mouth to protest, Ah-lam said, "Oh, so you'll do it? Thank you, it was so kind of you to volunteer." And without further ado, both masters walked away.

Mantis groaned. "Man, you have be kidding me. I've got to fight _her_?"

"Dude, she's scarier than Tigress," Monkey agreed.

"What songs do you want played at your funeral reception?" Hui-ying said, laughing. Mei Xing was giggling softly, as well.

"I don't wanna die!" Mantis moaned.

"Mantis, Monkey, you're up," Viper said, as she and Tigress stopped in front of them.

"Good luck, Master Mantis," Hui-ying said, still laughing.

The next few minutes were a blur. After Monkey and Mantis were done sparring, Ah-lam stood once again and walked up to the front. After a moment's hesitation, she and the insect began to spar. And she didn't go easy on him. At all.

Thirty seconds later, Mantis dragged himself along the ground with his front legs. "So- how'd- I- do?" he gasped.

"Hey, Mantis?" Po said.

"What?"

"Welcome to level zero."


	7. Chapter 7 Ch6

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: I dedicate this chapter to David Thorne, the Internet genius who seems to delight in dealing with morons like the amazingly verbal Locquista! I bow to you, David Thorne! *bows*

Locquista: Are you the same person that posted on TYATY about superchick? If so, well done!: you finally grew some balls and signed your name!

Sadly, even though you are now a 'real man' (and I'm using that term lightly), you are still an ignoramus. You seem to be forgetting that there are many men and women in the different armed services that actually have 'eaten bullets' and have given their very lives for the safety of our respective countries. How dare you insult them! _You_ certainly don't seem the type to join the military (you are too much of a coward, judging by the way you didn't even sign your name the first time), and if you have, I don't quite comprehend why you haven't been kicked out because of your vulgar and foul mouth. I myself am contemplating a career in the armed forces, and I must say, if you were _my_ trench buddy, I'd shoot myself in the foot just to get away from you.

Finally, just to emphasize my position in the matter, I say once again that you are an idiotic coward. Idiotic because you happen to be insulting a martial artist (one who has a lot of martial artist friends), and a coward because you're doing so over the Internet. Until the day that you wish to become a _valuable_ member of society instead of atrophying your time to insulting people over the Internet with your face hidden behind a computer screen, please keep your stupidity, triteness, and amazing loquaciousness of half-witted insults to yourself. Thank you and have a great day!

LTspade: Thanks for defending me there. It's really awesome for you to say that, especially since you're a guy that takes the feelings of women into consideration. High five, man! And an almond cookie to boot! ({})

Everyone else who defended me: Sorry that I didn't list you directly, I just haven't had the chance to look very closely since it's hard to find Internet in 'Ancient China.' Almond cookies to all of you as well, and sorry for the late update! ({})

_**Approx. 35-40 years previous, Li Da Academy…**_

_ The world around her was dim and removed, as if she weren't really in it, but somewhere else a long ways off. All she could hear was her panting breath and the beating of her own heart. She could feel the pain from numerous wounds, but it felt distant and far away. There was a foul taste in her mouth; it tasted… red, if that was possible. Blood-red. Salty and sweet and metallic, all at the same time._

_ She opened her eyes a fraction wider. Even the harsh sunlight seemed to be tinted that same hue of ugly ruby._

_ She could hear someone calling her name from the sidelines. "Brother?" she tried to say, but it came out as a moan._

_ "Ah-lam! Ah-lam, hold on!" She thought she saw her brother try to run to her, but someone pushed him back._

_ "This is her fight! Let her do as she will."_

_ "But he'll kill her!"_

_ 'He'll kill me?' Ah-lam thought vaguely. 'Yes. Ju-long will kill me. But why hasn't he already? I'm helpless. It must be to taunt me…'_

_ "So weak!" Ju-long spat at her from above. "I would have expected more from you,." he sneered in disgust. "And to think I actually considered making you my mate."_

_ That did it. She didn't care how much pain she was in, no one, __no one__ got away with saying that she would have married Ju-long._

_ She pushed herself off the ground, growling. "I- would never- have agreed,- you mangy wolf!"_

_ Ju-long snarled and attacked. She barely managed to get out of the way in time, but he turned around and grabbed her by the stomach, bringing her back to the ground._

_ What ensued there was no fair fight. It was brawling, plain-out and simple, with all rules unbound._

_ Suddenly, Ju-long dove forward and tried to stick his claws through her neck. She just barely managed to roll out of the way in time, but even so, the attack found another mark._

_ Ah-lam screamed as she felt her shoulder and chest torn open by the wolf's claws. Ju-long laughed and drew back for his last attack._

_ She couldn't think. She couldn't even breath. The pain was too horrible. Everything flashed black and bloody red as the blood from the wound soaked her vest and fur._

_ "Good-bye, you worthless cat," Ju-long snarled, and then attacked._

_ At the last instant, just before his fist descended, Ah-lam suddenly thought, 'No. I'm not going out like this.' Something in her sparked at the thought, a determination that said she would __not__ lose this fight. Not to him._

_ Ju-long dropped to a knee, intending to plunge his claws into her heart. Ah-la grabbed him by the neck with her own, fast as lightning. With a strength she hadn't known she possessed, she somehow managed to switch positions with the wolf, slamming his body into the ground while coming up onto a knee herself. She held him to the ground with her powerful grasp: not enough to strangle him, but enough to make him worried._

_ "No," she growled. "__You__ leave."_

_ Ju-long's eyes grew wide in fear, thinking that she was going to kill him. For a moment, as she felt the hate burn in her heart, she thought she would, too. But instead, Ah-lam released him, stood, and pointed to the gates. "Now," she ordered, her tone one that not even the emperor would disobey._

_ Ju-long stumbled up onto his hind legs. "This won't be our last, Ah-lam," he growled, and then fled._

_ She watched him go, and then suddenly, the world tilted on its side. She fell to the ground…_

… Ah-lam awoke with a start. Her heart was racing, and her breath came in sharp pants. She noticed that her right hand was clutching at her left shoulder.

Slowly, she calmed herself, closing her eyes and breathing in through her nose as if she were meditating. Even so, it seemed that the aged mountain cat's thoughts would not quiet.

For she knew that it was her fault, and hers alone, that they were on this quest. Had she retained the strength of will in that moment of indecision, the instant where she had debated whether or not to end the Ju-long's life, she knew that no one would be in danger.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes, only to find two brown ones* watching her from a few feet away. The red panda's concerned face was visible in the light of the dying fire, which was now reduced to almost-finished red coals.

"My apologies, Grandmaster, I did not mean to awaken you," she said softly, so as not to rouse the others. She dipped her head in a slight bow.

"You did not wake me; I had yet to fall asleep when you stirred." There was a moment's silence as Ah-lam realized that he had seen her jerking revival. "Master Ah-lam, is something troubling you?"

"Nothing that should concern you, Shifu. Please, return to resting. I will not bother you again."

"Ah-lam." His tone was firm. "Forgive me for prying, but you did not… seem quite yourself today."

"Didn't I?" she asked, her voice nonchalant.

"No. You have never done that badly in a spar."

"Hmph. If I remember correctly, I defeated you-"

"-through the use of tactics that you would not normally use," Shifu finished. "Ah-lam, what is worrying you?"

She was about to deny it like she might have done in earlier years, before she remembered her pact with him to be honest. "When I fought Ju-long some fifty years ago, I had the chance to… dispose of him. I was weak and chose not to." She blinked, her golden eyes obscured for a moment. "It seems now that everyone must suffer for my mistake."

"Hm. 'Mistake' is a difficult word; I'd rather think of what you did as a very admirable form of mercy," said Shifu.

"Perhaps," she countered, "But as we all know, Grandmaster, what we prefer to think is not always how it was."

"No, but how it was can also be how we choose to remember. Everything is subjected to, and limited only by one's own perspective."

She gave him a small smile. "You are beginning to sound like your master."

He chuckled. "It must come from dealing with an… unusual student."

"You and the Dragon Warrior are about as unusual as they come," she agreed.

He studied her for a moment, then said, "If my memory is not faulty, you were a great deal like Tigress when you were younger."

She blinked, slightly surprised by the unexpected statement. Then, she nodded graciously. "She is an honorable person to be compared to, Grandmaster. You have my thanks."

"Strong, determined, courageous…" He let out the smallest of sighs. "I can only hope that she will be like yourself when she is our age, and that I have not deterred her from the better path."

"You did what you believed to be best," Ah-lam reminded him, "and you have done what you could to make up for your mistakes. It was better to have been too strict on her than to have filled her with a dangerous pride." When Shifu glanced away, she said, "If you do not believe me, then look at this: when Master Po was chosen as the Dragon Warrior instead of herself, she did not wreak havoc on the Valley. She was bitter, yes, but she, who was once known as a monster for her outbursts, contained her temper and in time has even grown to love the panda. You have done your job, and if it was not completely faultless, who is to blame you? None can be the perfect parents to any child, and that you have instilling morality and virtue into her is a task to which many others would have failed."

He nodded, and then said quietly, "There are days that I still wonder if maybe _he_ is alive, if perhaps he survived the Wuxi finger hold, as impossible as that may be… and then I remember what he did to the Valley, and I know that no matter how much I loved him, I could not allow him to survive even if I did find him alive, for the sake of the people." His voice was bitter-sweet, and that alone portrayed the truth: that losing his son had been what was worst for him and best for all.

There was a moment of quiet, before Ah-lam laid her paw on the red panda's shoulder and said softly, "Give it time, Shifu. The pain will fade."

"Perhaps, but will it ever truly disappear? Ever time I look at Tigress or the Dragon Warrior, no matter how proud of them I may be, I can never fully ignore the twinge of pain from seeing the hero he could have become. Especially Tigress; she is so much like him that it is uncanny. Bravery, strength, a natural talent for Kung Fu…" He shook his head. "Some nights, it even keeps me from sleep, trying to find out just where I went wrong with Tai Lung, exactly when I made the defining mistake."

"Is that why you are awake now?" Ah-lam asked.

"Yes. The answer continues to elude me in a hopeless circle of thoughts, until I fear I might go mad from my attempts." He gave a humorless chuckle and said, "At least we are both awake now; the silence was thoroughly annoying."

"Better silence than screams," she said sagely.

"All too true." He shook his head slightly, as if waking himself. "Please forgive my rudeness; you were attempting to tell me something, and I turned it to myself."

"No, I was finished. But it's rather nice to have company; tis much better than waking alone in the dark, with no one to talk to."

"Agreed." There was another long, though not uncomfortable silence as both of the aged warriors found solace in each other. Finally, Shifu said, "It seems that you have set my mind at ease once again, Ah-lam, and I am afraid that I will nod off into the fire if I don't lay down."

"Do as you need to. I myself am becoming tired again, and as we are traveling tomorrow, I believe that some more sleep would do me well. Good night, Grandmaster." She lay back down onto her bed roll.

"Good night, Master Ah-lam." He did the same.

It was a good while before they fell asleep, and would have been even longer had they noticed their position. For you see, when they had lain back down, they had ended up closer than they had expected, and facing each other. In their semi-conscious state, they had unintentionally entwined their paws together, the smaller ones clasped in the larger like a silent prayer.

**A/N: Ugh, this took FOREVER to write! Not that it's very long, but unfortunately I lost my drive to write it for about a week.**

** *'…brown…' Apparently, Shifu's eyes are actually a bluish-gray color, but they always look brown to me, so I'm going to keep referring to them that way.**

** Also, I know I said in TYATY that Ah-lam got her scars on her first mission. She meant first fight, not first actual mission. Sorry.**


	8. Chapter 8 Ch7

Chapter 7

A/N: AAAAAH! I messed up again! Sorry for the misinformation in the last chapter; I caught them while rereading it: Yes, Ah-lam's eyes are blue, and yes, it was about thirty-eight years ago, not fifty. I will change that!

Also I will be using this chance to answer some people that PMd me or left a comment. I can't check FF right now, but my email gets all of them, so I'm replying to a few in case I don't get the chance to get back on anytime soon and PM you all directy. Thanks for your help in this matter, and sorry for the inconvenience.

To: Shifu's bride- Yes, you may use them for my profile. Sorry that I can't PM you, but I don't have much time.

To: ScarletShadow- Thank you! I'm honored that you enjoy these so much. *blush*

To: MasterCheescake- I suppose that I get so many reviews because I write a lot of chapters. More chapters = more reviews, I guess. But that's just my suspicions.

To: Dreaming4Love- no, I won't, I'm just unable to post as often, due to the fact that I am stuck in 'Ancient China' and am unable to post as often as I would like…

To: Spartanguy- I've been unable to comment on your stories for the same reason I have been unable to post as often as I wish: Ancient China's internet reception is absolutely terrible.

To: Shouvin- I'm in Ancient China saving the nation from Shen with Po and the Furious Five. ; )

To: Alicehatter- Yeah, Spongebob was funnier back then. But now it's kind of screwed up. I wish they'd hire me as the writer; I'd totally have some Spongebob-Sandy action! (Er… basically cuz they're the only couple even possible… is that creepy?)

To: Steelblastbee – LOL, I could totally see that happening! Hahaha poor Crane…

To: Shadowfang- Tell your psych teacher that she is a genius for me. : )

**June 22, Traveling, Central China (Approx. 7:00 a.m.)**

"Dad, it's not time for work yet," Po mumbled, as someone tried to shake him awake. "Come on, seriously, nobody wants noodles this early."

"Po."

"Yeah, yeah, 'it's always time for noodles,' I know," the panda grumbled. "But I was having this amazing dream: I was the Dragon Warrior, and I was friends with the Five, and I was freakin' dating Master Tigress…"

"_Po_."

"Alright, alright, I'm up," he said, yawning and sitting up. As he did, he noticed that it was still dark. "Huh?"

"Po, it's time to get up," Tigress said, her orange fur appearing red from the glow of the morning fire. She handed him a bowl of soup.

"Oh." He blinked, and then went red. "So you heard all that?"

"We all did," Monkey said from the other side of the fire.

"Tigress made breakfast and let you sleep a few minutes later," Viper added.

"Wow, really?" the panda said, looking at the bowl in surprise. "Thanks."

"Hurry and eat; Shifu wants to get moving," Tigress said, picking up the bucket of water to douse the fire. "He was up before any of us this morning, and he's anxious to leave."

"Gotcha." He took a long drink of soup from the bowl. "Not bad."

"Thank you." She nudged him to the side and rolled up his bedroll for him as he finished the soup, and then picked up Po's bags.

"Mmm…" the bag mumbled.

Everybody froze. "What-" Monkey started.

"Was that?" finished Mantis.

"Po, what exactly is in your bag?" Crane said nervously.

"Just some food and a change of clothes," Po said, sounding even more apprehensive.

Another "mmm" came from the bag.

"I think your radishes want a talk," Viper said, prodding him with her tail.

"Hey, just because I cook doesn't mean I want to face the Evil Vegetables of Doom!" Po protested.

"Hold on," Tigress said, her eyes narrowing. Without a another word, she opened the large bag. Quickly taking out the various ingredients on top, she uncovered the perpetrator.

"Láng!" she said angrily, and lifted the sleepy wolf out.

"Oh, mornin', Niang," Láng said guiltily, suppressing a yawn.

Tigress growled. "Why are you here?" she demanded angrily. "You were supposed to stay at Mr. Ping's!"

"What is going on?" Shifu said, walking over with Ah-lam from where they'd been standing.

"We've got a stowaway," answered Crane.

"Really?" Shifu said, looking at Láng with a combination of annoyance and amusement.

"Yep," Monkey confirmed. "The kid hid under the food in Po's bags."

"Smart," Mantis said.

Tigress shot him a glare that quite clearly said 'shut up while I'm parenting my kid,' before she turned back to the wolf. "Láng, answer my question."

Láng shrugged. "I don't know."

"No, you _do_ know. Now answer me: why did you come along even though I told you to stay with Mr. Ping?"

"I don't know!" she said again, this time shrieking.

"Láng, you directly defied me. You weren't supposed to come with us, and you knew that!"

Láng crossed her arms angrily. "I don't wanna stay home! I wanna come with you and Baba!"

"Láng, look at me," Tigress said, kneeling down and putting a hand on Láng's shoulder.

"Mmm!" the girl whined, twisting away.

"Láng, this isn't a game. You could get very, very hurt, even killed. Do you want to get hurt or killed?"

"No!"

"No, of course you don't. So listen to me: what you did was very, very wrong."

Láng glared at her, sulking.

"I know you're angry at me right now, but I'm your mother. It's my job to protect you, right?" Láng nodded grudgingly. "But it's also my job to protect China. And it's very, very hard to do both at the same time. So next time I tell you to stay home, you _stay home_. Do you understand me?" When Láng whined again and looked away, she repeated the question. "Do you understand me, Láng?"

"Yes, Niang," she said, pouting.

"Good." When Láng still looked mad, Tigress sighed. Gently, she lifted Láng's chin so that she was looking her directly in the eyes. "I do everything because I love you," she said seriously, "And I couldn't bare to see you get hurt."

Láng sniffled slightly and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. "I love you too, mommy," she murmured into Tigress' fur.

Tigress hugged her back, and then said, "Why don't you go walk with Baba for a while?"

"Okay!" Láng said, immediately happy once again. She ran over to Po.

"Speaking of walking, we should get to it," Ah-lam pointed out.

"Agreed," said Shifu. "Everybody packed?" After general assent to this, he said, "Then let's begin."

As they started off, Tigress found herself at the head of the line, beside Shifu and Ah-lam. Shifu glanced at her and chuckled.

"What?" the tiger master snapped.

"The irony of it simply astounds me," he replied, looking no less amused.

Tigress ground her teeth, though her master could tell she was more agitated than angry. "If she doesn't become more careful, she's going to get herself killed."  
>"Hm. And I suppose that reminds you of nobody."<p>

She flushed red. "I never hid in your bags to go on a mission."

"You most certainly did. Have you forgotten the battle between myself and Striking Crow?"

"That was- I didn't- Fine!" She clenched her fist, irritated. "But that isn't the point."

"I'm not making any point at all. You did quite well. I'm simply saying that it's very entertaining watching you get your due."

Tigress glared at him, and then conceded. "I suppose."

The red panda continued to chuckle smugly, Ah-lam smiling slightly beside him. Tigress could only take so much of this, and after a few seconds muttered something about "wish you'd just go senile already…" and went to the back with Po.

**A town in Central China, Around Noon**

"We'll stop here for some food and then be on our way," Shifu said, as they walked through the town gates. "No fooling around, understood?"

"Yes, Master," his students all said.

Shifu glanced over his shoulder. "Dragon Warrior? You understand?"

"Yeah, totally."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "Last time you said that, you almost set a civilian on fire."

Po went red. "Okay, okay! I promise not to light anyone or anything on fire."

"Good." He turned back to the front.

They found a restaurant soon after that, a small teashop that was absolutely thrilled to be serving the greatest masters in all of China. Just as they were finishing their food, the teashop door opened, and two red pandas walked in.

Shifu stopped eating and said, surprised, "Déshi."

The other red panda glanced at him, just as surprised, and then turned his back towards the Grandmaster without another word. The message was clear: even Shifu's own brother was shunning him.

There was dead silence at the table for a minute, before Shifu stood up. "Grandmaster-" Ah-lam started, but he cut her off.

"No. I may have been disowned, but he can't pretend he doesn't know me," Shifu said, gripping Oogway's staff tightly.

He walked over to the table that the two other red pandas were about to sit down at and bowed to Déshi and his wife. "Lord Jin," he said.

Déshi was about to turn away when he noticed that everyone was looking at him. He couldn't very well ignore the Grandmaster again, not now that everyone in the Teashop was looking at them. "Grandmaster," he said, bowing. "To what do I owe this honor?"

His formal tone was like a knife to Shifu, but he persisted nonetheless. "Simply to talk. It has been two months, after all."

Déshi glanced around. Everyone had gone back to their meals, so he said in a low voice, "Shifu, I am not supposed to talk to you."

"And why not? I may have been disowned, but we are still friends."

His once-brother's face hardened. "You are not my friend. I don't know you."

"Don't know me?" Shifu said, his voice beginning to rise. "Don't know me? Déshi, how could you not know me?"

People were starting to stare again. Déshi dropped the pretense of formality. "Please, brother!" he pleaded. "Just end your courtship of the mountain cat! If you do that, Father will allow you back into the family."

"Déshi-"

"Shifu, listen to me! I've begged Father to forgive you, but he refuses to do so unless you reject her!" His reddish-brown eyes searched through his elder brother's, as if doing so would help him find the way to convince Shifu. "Shifu, what is more important than family?"

"Any number of things, so many that it would take too long to list!" the Grandmaster snapped.

"Brother-"

"I refuse to end my courtship of Master Ah-lam simply because Father wishes it of me."

"Shifu- Grandmaster- please, just listen! Father says that this is your last chance. He said that if I saw you and you insisted on talking to me, then I was to tell you to either renounce her or lose the chance forever. You must decide _now_."

Shifu took a step back, surprised by the force in Déshi's voice. He glanced over his shoulder at the others, who were listening. His eyes landed on Ah-lam, and, without another moment's hesitation, he turned back to his brother.

"I've already decided," he said.

Déshi's face went sad, and then suddenly blank. "Then you are now dead to me, and to our- to _my_ family," he said dully. He turned away, and Shifu knew that even if he did try to talk to his brother, Déshi would not hear him. He would not even look at him.

"And you me," he said quietly, and then turned around and walked back to the table.

"Students, let us leave," he said, his tone perfectly normal. But as everyone stood up, Ah-lam caught the look of sadness in his eyes. With sorrow in her own, knowing that she was the cause of his pain, she went up behind him. "Shifu," she said softly, but the red panda followed after his students and did not answer.

**That Night (Approx. 7:30 p.m.)**

It was with heavy hearts that they stopped that night. Sudden storms had appeared on their way, and it had rained all day long and into the evening. Viper (whom had learned her lesson last time) had been unable to go so fast, to which Crane offered to carry her in flight. This plan, too, was thwarted as the winds picked up too much for him to fly, forcing him to walk. This then led to Viper alternating between slithering on the ground and being carried by Tigress, who consequently was also carrying Láng part of the time (Po took the other half).

All eight of them were soaking wet by the time Shifu called them to a halt. Though he said nothing, the others could tell that both he and Ah-lam were extremely exhausted, and set up camp without being told.

As no fire could be lit due to the rain, they ate cold bread rations and water for dinner that night, sleeping underneath the cover of some tall maples.

It shouldn't have been easy to fall asleep, but they were so exhausted that it didn't take long.

When Shifu awoke much later, the first thing he noticed was that it was still raining. Thunder rolled across the forest, preventing him from falling back to sleep.

He sat there a long time, before he heard someone say from behind him, "Up again, Grandmaster?"

He started and turned. Ah-lam was awake. "Yes."

"It was a mistake, Shifu. Let it go."

"It's not that," he said, shaking his head. "I'm simply… thinking."

She gave him a small smile. "Forgive me for prying, but what is it that troubles you tonight? Mayhap I can help again."

"I doubt it. Nothing too out of the ordinary now; just responsibility."

"Responsibility for the Valley?" she said knowingly.

"Yes." He glanced up at the sky. "My Master always did such a good job at keeping the nation safe… I haven't even the slightest ghost of a prayer that I'll be able to copy his example."

"Maybe that's where you should start," she pointed out. "If I am correct, your Master had a good connection to the gods, correct?"

"Er… I suppose," he said, not really knowing where this was going.

"Tell me, Shifu, how long has it been since you've talked to them?" He opened his mouth, but she held up her paw and stopped him. "I don't mean rushed, desperate prayers for salvation. I mean an honest-to-goodness conversation."

"Well… maybe quite some time," he admitted.

"Then perhaps you should start there. See what you can learn from them that know all." She gave him a small smile and, without another word, she lay down and closed her eyes. Within a few moments, she had fallen back to sleep.

He hesitated a moment, and then crossed his legs into a meditative position. He calmed his breathing, and then tentatively began his prayer.

"Well." He cleared his throat. "I suppose it's been quite some time. Nearly twenty years." He called to mind the day he'd stopped praying: the day that Tai Lung had laid waste to the Valley. "I- I suppose I feel rather foolish… After all, I can't see why you'd bother to listen to me, and I look like I'm talking to nothing but air." He coughed again. "Well, as you can see, we're in a bit of trouble. Ju-long… I can't see how any of us can possibly defeat him. His skill is unmatched, and the only chance we had, the Eye of the Dragon, is now useless due to his precautions. To put it simply, we need help."

The words were coming easier now, so much so that they were nearly spilling from his mouth. "I know that I haven't any right to ask you for assistance, not with the way I've ignored you all these years. But we need your help. Without it, all of China will suffer, and it will be entirely on my shoulders.

"This burden… I don't understand how my master carried it all those years. The weight of your country on your shoulders is a huge load. I'm not sure how he did it…" His voice trailed off, and then grew stronger again. "But if there's one thing I know, it's how he always remembered to thank you for everything you had done for us. Yuan-shih T'ien-tsun, I know I haven't done the same, and I know that I don't deserve anything. But I need it. Please, send us help. Soon."

Red in the face, he paused for a moment, and then said, "Er… I'm done now. Good night."

Feeling somewhat foolish, he lay back down and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, he fell asleep, just missing the way the clouds cleared and a rainbow spectrum appeared around the waxing moon.

**A/N: Wow, I'm really on a Shifu push lately, huh? Don't worry, the next chapter will have some more action. : )**

**Also, for any non-Christians out there, the whole thing with the rainbow comes from an Old-Testament story called 'Noah's Ark,' in which God floods the world of sin but saves one still-faithful man (Noah), his family, and two of every animal (or more, depending on which story you read). At the end of the story, when the flood goes down enough for land to appear, God uses a rainbow to signify his promise of never destroying the world with a flood again.**


	9. Chapter 9 Ch 8

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda. Also, **the idea of gingko leaf tea came from a different author!** I can't remember who it is (I read that story nearly three months ago), but I give them full and complete credit for that idea. If it is you, please write me a comment so I can give you full credit.

Also, guess what? I'm BAAAAACK!

To: KristentheKittyKat- Yes, 'mayhap' is a word. It's very old and means the same thing as maybe. And no, I make PLENTY of mistakes. Trust me. : 0

To: shouvin- Don't you realize that I would have been reading if I could have? I didn't have internet on a day-to-day basis!

To: Bravekid- what do you mean by 'trailer?'

To: Yuki The Tiger- I will, don't worry! I'm just in a tight spot when it comes to Internet.

To: Stranded92- Heheheh that'd make a funny oneshot… you mind if I use that?

Mechkiller- same as I told Shouvin, I'm afraid I can't. I will when I'm at a place with constant Internet, but until that time, it's not fair to you or any other readers to make promises.

To: KFP MasterCheesecake- I'm sorry, but no. I believe that that might end up giving you my email, and as I said to Alice, revealing my identity is something I can't do. That aside, why don't you make your own collection of oneshots? I'm sure that you'd be more than qualified, and your writing style is fascinating. You can do it!

**June 23, Traveling, Central China (Approx. 10:30 a.m.)**

The sun was bright when they set out the next morning. The night's rain had cleared the air of dust, and the sky was a perfect blue, the air slightly cool with frisky, ever-changing breezes. Po couldn't help but grin; there was something about a bright, sunny day that made him feel invincible.

Tigress, on the other hand, was scowling and shading her light-sensitive eyes from the sun. Tigers were nocturnal creatures by nature, and while she had trained herself to stay awake during the day and sleep at night, bright sunlight always bothered her eyes and made her irritable (as in, more irritable than usual).

She thought it ironic that even though she was the passive side of the Yin-Yang, she was always so easily angered. She supposed it was something along the lines of dropping a stone into a calm pool, versus a rushing river: the ripples were more easily noticed.

Po's mind, on the other hand, was a great deal less busy. As a matter of fact, he was thinking along the lines of _How long until lunch?_

"Two hours," Tigress answered absent-mindedly aloud.

Everyone looked at her. "What was that?" Monkey asked.

"Nothing," she said, realizing she'd spoken out loud. "Please excuse my outburst."

"Yeah, no problem," Mantis said, realizing that it was probably something with the mind connection. Princess Mei Xing, however, looked curiously at Tigress with her violet eyes.

"E-excuse me, Master Tigress, Dragon Warrior," she said timidly. "But… I've heard rumors that there is a… mental connection between the two of you. Is this true?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Po said. "I listen to her twenty-four seven."

"Unfortunately, the same goes for me," Tigress said, giving him a withering look.

"Ow!" he said, frowning. "Don't be so mean."

"Hmph. I'm only 'mean' because you're annoying."

"You're not setting a good example for your kid," he pointed out.

Tigress glanced at Láng, who was walking beside her, and then sighed. "Fine. Po, I find it absolutely wonderful to have to listen to your incessant thoughts every single minute of my life."

"See? That's how to be a good mother."

The banter continued for the rest of the day, changing nearly as quickly as the winds. When it came time for lunch, they ate hurriedly, and then continued on their way, barely taking any breaks.

By the time that the sun had started to set, they'd made it to a larger village that thrived along one of the larger rivers. Shifu got them a few rooms at one of the inns (women in one, men in the other).

As everyone was filling into the respective rooms, Po grabbed Tigress by the elbow. "Come on."

"What?"

"We haven't had any time to ourselves since we got back from Bao Gu. So we're going to dinner."

She blinked at him. "When did you become the assertive one?"

He blushed. "Uh…"

"Calm down, I'm not being serious."

"Well, not as serious as usual."

She rolled her eyes. "What I meant to say was, 'I agree.' Just give me a moment to tell Master Shifu where we're going."

She returned a few seconds later. "He said that we had better be back in an hour, or we'll be sparring him and Master Ah-lam, and that if he found out we went anywhere except somewhere to eat…"

"Geez. He's really protective of you."

She beckoned with her paw and said, "Come with me. I know of a good to go."

**A few seconds later**

Shifu heard the two walk down the hall, and then the closing of the inn door as they left. He was sitting in the women's room with Ah-lam (Viper had gone over to the guys' room, since Tigress had left and she and Ah-lam were the only women left). He appeared to be meditating, but Ah-lam knew better. She watched his ears flick with each sound for a few seconds and then said, "You want to follow them, don't you?"

Shifu didn't respond, but rather took a deep meditative breath. A few seconds passed, before he nodded, eyes still closed, and said, "Yeah." **(A/N: The same way he says it at the end of KFP 1).**

**Ten Minutes Later**

Po pushed the door to the small tea and food shop open, the bell jingling on the door. A few people glanced at them, gave them a warm smile, and then went back to their meals. Perhaps there may have been more eager fans elsewhere, but the shop was small and the majority of the few people there were elderly and more inclined to pinch the cheeks of the young warriors than to clamber at them for, as Po would have put it, 'Tales of Awesomeness.'

As they sat down at one of the many empty tables, the shop owner (and waiter, and cook) came up to them and bowed. "Master Tigress, Dragon Warrior," he said respectfully. "What can I get for you this evening?"

"A bowl of noodles for me," Po said, grinning.

"I'll have it for you in a few minutes; I just started to boil some water for tea. And you, Master Tigress?"

"You said you're boiling water?" The shopkeeper nodded. "Do you have any gingko leaves?"

He blinked. "For medical purposes, yes."

"Would you mind brewing those into a tea for me?"

"I- I suppose so."

"Thank you."

As he walked away, Po said, "Gingko leaf tea?"

"Yes. It's bitter, but one becomes accustomed to and even begins to like the taste after two decades." At his still-confused look, she clarified, "Master's been having me drink it ever since I was very young."

"Oh, I get it. The whole prophecy thing, about the dew and universe juice?"

"'The dew from a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe,'" she corrected. "But yes, that's the general idea."

They had just gotten their orders when a number of other people came into the shop. Neither of the warriors would have paid any mind, had not Tigress noticed one's midnight-blue cloak and another's bushy tail among the six or seven new customers.

"Po," she said and pointed, as he took a drink from his soup. "Look over that way."

He put the bowl down and glanced over his shoulder. He, too, spotted the mountain cat and the red panda. "Master Shifu and Master Ah-lam? What are they doing here?"

"Spying on us, no doubt. They want to make sure we don't do anything… out of conduct."

It was a rather diplomatic way, and as such it took Po a moment to get it. When he did, his face went a brilliant shade of red, and he said nothing more than a simple "Oh."

"It's irritating that they don't trust us, but there's nothing we can do." She thanked the owner as he set her tea down in front of her, and then took a drink of it as he rushed off to the newcomers' tables.

"Do you think they can hear us talking?"

"It's doubtful. The crowd they came in with is rather loud, if you haven't noticed, and they're sitting on the other side of the restaurant. Even with us speaking aloud, I doubt that either of them, even Master Shifu, can hear us."

"That's true…" suddenly, his face split into a grin. "Aw, man, this has to be driving Shifu _nuts_!"

**On the other side of the shop**

Shifu saw Po grin and scowled with irritation. It was annoying him to no end that he couldn't understand what they were saying. "What are they talking about?" he said, more to himself than to Ah-lam.

"Relax, Grandmaster," she said. She took a drink of her tea, and then pointed at his cup saying, "You ought to drink it before it gets cold."

He took his cup but didn't drink. Instead, he continued to watch the two suspiciously, as if waiting for them to do something that was, *ahem*, _out of conduct_.

Ah-lam sighed. "Shifu, they are in a public tea shop surrounded by at least two dozen other people; there isn't exactly much that can happen at the moment. And in case it has escaped your attention, they've already noticed that we're here."

He blinked and glanced away for a moment to look at her, slightly unnerved. "They have? How do you know?"

"I know because the Dragon Warrior went a very nice shade of red a few seconds ago, which is most likely because Master Tigress said something regarding the two of us 'spying on them.' And as for how I know that," she said, before he could ask, "she pointed us out to him when we came in."

The red panda gave her a small, wonder-filled smile. "I am still in awe of how you perceive those sorts of things."

She smiled back. "I figured that after the way you snuck up on me when I lost my _ya sheng_ coin at my first Winter Festival, I should become more observant."

"It's done you a great deal of good. Tell me, though; how did you become so adept at it?"

"Practice," she said simply, her eyes twinkling.

**At the other table, a while later**

"Mmm," Po said, draining the rest of his bowl of soup. "Tha' wa' 'o goo'!"

"I'm guessing that was something along the lines of, 'that was so good,'" Tigress said.

"Uh-huh." He glanced outside at the setting sun. "Do you think we should be going back?"

"Let's stay a few minutes longer; I haven't had peace and quiet in too long."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment or two, before Tigress suddenly said, "You didn't take as much soup this time."

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he said, going a little red. "I'm trying to cut back."

"That's… very impressive," she said, somewhat surprised.

"What?"

"The task of mastering our impulses and wants is a difficult task, but one well worth the effort," she said.

"Yeah, well… it's kind of thanks to you guys, really. Or Master Shifu, I guess," he said, kind of embarrassed.

"What do you mean?" She caught a few hazy glimpses of something from his mind, but she still didn't really understand.

"We were training one day with kind of a- a fight, I guess, over dumplings." She raised her eyebrows, and he went even redder. "Don't laugh!"

"I'm not going to. But I still don't get what you mean."

"When I got the last dumpling, Master Shifu said that I was 'free to eat' or whatever, and then it kind of, I don't know, just hit me: I didn't really even want it."

She blinked, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. Ever since then, I've been working on not eating unless I'm actually hungry."

"I see." It was strange, really; she'd always not that he had eating problems, but until that moment it had never quite hit her how big of a challenge it was for him.

He waited patiently as Tigress finished her tea. They were just about to leave when they heard it: a loud, piercing scream.

Everyone in the shop instantly whirled around, trying to see who or what had made the noise. The four warriors present immediately stood up.

"What was that?" Po asked Tigress.

The feline didn't respond. Instead, she looked over at her master, who gave her a sharp nod. Without a moment's hesitation, she bolted from the restaurant, followed by Ah-lam, Shifu, and lastly Po.

What they saw in the streets was a terrible sight.

Wolf and boar bandits were running rampant in the streets, tormenting the villagers and looting stores. There were so many, it seemed like they'd appeared there by magic. The chaos was even harder to understand, due to the waning red light from the setting sun.

"Po, get the others!" Tigress ordered. It was one of those moments when one realized that, despite Po being the technical leader (what with him being the Dragon Warrior), Tigress was the real one.

He quickly hurried off down the streets, which were teeming with terrified villagers. He hadn't even reached the inn when someone called his name. "Po!"

He turned around and spotted the other four in the crowds. "Guys!"

"What's going on?" Crane asked (it was she who had called his name).

"I don't know. Tigress, Shifu and Ah-lam are already fighting; we have to go help them!"

They pushed against the flow of the crowds, struggling to get back to the three warriors. When they finally got where Po had started off, a number of unconscious bandits lay on the ground.

The five of them instantly began to fight, as well. It seemed that with every bandit they defeated, a new one would take his place.

"There's too many of them! We need help!" Viper yelled, choking one of the villains with her tail.

"We _are_ the help!" Tigress shouted back, throwing a boar over the back and hitting him hard in the temples.

"Po, get the princess and the others, and get them out of here!" Shifu ordered, before shouting "HEIS!" and jabbed his into a wolf's solar-plexus.

"No way, Master Shifu!" Po yelled. "We're not leaving you behind!"

"Without assistance, none of us will get out of here alive!" Ah-lam shouted, spinning-kicking a boar into the ground. "We'll be overrun by sheer numbers alone!"

Her point was proven when at least a dozen wolves teamed up on her at once. She fought as fiercely as she could, but she knew she was losing ground. _Damn old age,_ she thought, right before one of her opponents landed a crushing blow on her shoulder.

She let out a sharp cry as the decades-old injury exploded in pain. In the next instant, it went numb, as another wolf hit the nerve point and made her arm go limp.

"Ah-lam!" Shifu shouted, trying to cut through the masses of bandits to get to her. Suddenly, another cry split the air, as Viper was raked across her scaly back by a set of claws. As Tigress struggled to get to her, she found herself becoming quickly overwhelmed by new opponents.

As the seconds turned into minutes, they became more and more exhausted, injured, or both. Po knew it would only be moments before they were totally beaten.

Suddenly, a loud shout- even louder than normal- broke through the haze of battle cries as Shifu was suddenly knocked off balance, his leg bent at an odd angle and his hand caught behind his back. Every eye was drawn towards him as the staff went flying, and the wolf he was fighting drew back his claws to rip out the red panda's neck.

And suddenly, that wolf fell down.

Dead.

There was barely a moment's notice before other enemies began to fall down, too, each pierced through with a kitchen knife from a nearby restaurant. The situation was still dire, but not so dire as only moments before.

With the new help, they managed to defeat enough opponents so that there were only a few life, who, when they saw their fallen comrades, turned tail and ran.

The seven warriors looked around, panting, trying to find who it was that had helped them. Suddenly, out of the shadows came a figure that they hadn't noticed before.

He was dressed in a large, dark cloak that covered every inch of his body; even his face was hidden within the folds of the hood. His form was tall and willowy, which made them guess that he was some sort of bird, like Crane, though he had no tail feathers or, as far as they could tell, any feathers at all. He walked with a limp, and when he stepped with his bad leg, they could hear metal scrape against the ground, as if some sort of weapon, likely an arrowhead, had impaled his foot.

"Who are you?" Shifu called out, the first to speak.

The voice that came back was scratchy and barely a whisper, as if someone had slit his throat long ago, and yet he still survived. "I have gone by many names, but now I am called Shadow."

"Why did you help us?" Ah-lam demanded. "What care do you have of our well being?"

Shadow didn't answer.

Shifu cut in. "Are you a Master of some art?"

"I am a weapon's master."

"I see. Well, you are free to stay with us if you wish."

Shadow dipped his head in what they all took as an acceptance to this offer.

Everyone glanced around at each other, slightly unnerved by this new ally. But then again, they needed all the help they could get.

Ah-lam was the first to speak. "Welcome, Shadow, and you have our thanks." She bowed to him and said, "We owe you a great deal for your assistance."

"You owe me nothing; I'm following the instructions of another."

"I see. In any case, come to the inn with us, I'm sure we could find you room." Without waiting for an answer, she turned and began to walk away.

Everyone, Shadow included, watched her for a moment. Shifu chuckled under his breath and said something to himself about 'always so courteous,' before they all followed the mountain cat through the red streets of the setting sun.

**Hm. Not as strong of an ending as I'd hoped for. *sigh* Oh well. Hope you liked it!**


	10. Chapter 10 Ch9 HAPPY BDAY MO!

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: What you talkin' bout, Foo? I don't own KFP!

To: Alicehatter239- I will do that. 23rd, here I come!

To: Stranded92- *annoyed* If you want to say something like that, write it in a PM! Kudos on using your logic to work it out, but there are others who'd rather wait for their suspicions to be confirmed by the author. I'd rather have waited longer to reveal it, but now since you've said something, I have to put it in this chapter.

**June 24, Inn, Central China (Approx. 2:30 a.m.)**

The feline's form crept along the hallway. As she gently pushed the inn door open, she heard someone say, "Going somewhere, Master Tigress?"

She turned around. Shadow was standing there, in all his creepiness.

"None of your business," Tigress said coldly.

"Considering that I'm part of this little team now-"

Suddenly, Tigress grabbed him by his throat.

"Listen and listen good, you useless bird," she hissed. "I know why you're here, and if you think I'm going to let you get within ten feet of him- well, let's just put it this way. If you have any sense at all, you'll keep you distance."

There was a silence, before Shadow started to laugh. "So. You knew all along. How did you figure it out?"

"You used knives as your first weapon," she said simply. "I thought maybe a peacock would be brighter than that, but I guess I was wrong, wasn't I, Shen?"

"Why didn't you kill me then, kitty?" he said mockingly.

"Because if you wanted us dead, you wouldn't have helped us." She drew even closer yet, her face set in a snarl. "I don't know what your motives are, but I'm not letting you get anywhere near Po ever again." She leaned in even closer. "And let me make one thing very clear: if you hurt him, I will end you." She barred all thirty of her sharp, white fangs, then released him and stalked away.

Shadow/Shen watched her go, still laughing quietly to himself. Tigress clenched her fists in an effort to restrain herself and muttered "Insane- little-" Furiously, she reached up and pulled the Talisman off her neckl; Po wasn't going to find out about this.

"Master Tigress?"

She whirled around with her fist poised to swing, assuming it was Shadow, and was quickly stopped by a gray-furred arm. "Calm yourself, it's only me."

She blinked, surprised, and then quickly dropped her head into an apologetic bow. "Apologies, Master Ah-lam. I thought you were… someone else."

"You mean Shen?"

Her mouth opened slightly. "You know?"

"Surely you didn't think you were the only one to notice," Shifu said, walking up beside Ah-lam. For a moment, Tigress wondered where he'd come from, before she realized that they were just inside the inn's front door, and that the two were probably out on a walk. "I don't think any of the other students know, though, and certainly not Mei Xing or Hui-ying."

"We can't tell Po," she said instantly.

"Considering that you share thoughts, it can't be long before he figures it out," Ah-lam pointed out.

Tigress held up her Talisman. "I'm not going to wear it."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Po can't find out, or at least not until this is all over. All it would do is throw him off like it did before."

"The Dragon Warrior has attained Inner Peace," Shifu said.

"Inner Peace or not, we can't risk it. Shen… He killed his mother and nearly his entire species!"

"From what I've been told, the Dragon Warrior offered Lord Shen his forgiveness during their final fight," said Ah-lam.

"In the heat of the moment, he followed his conscience. It's part of what makes him a great warrior," Tigress replied. "But what if we give him the time to think it over? What if he decides to kill Shen? Not that I'd blame him." She growled slightly.

"Tigress, enough!" Shifu said sharply. "Shen is our ally-"

"But why?" she demanded. "He's insane! He killed off a whole species! With all due respect, Master, trusting him is plain stupidity!"

All three of them were dead silent for a moment, as her words sank in. Then, she said in a low voice, "Forgive me, Master, that was uncalled for."

"Yes, it was," he said, and to her surprise, his tone was not angry. "But I understand why you think this way. To put it simply, Tigress, there are two very good reasons to allow Shen to travel with us. Firstly," at this, he held up a finger, "we need as many fighters as we can get. And secondly, I don't trust him."

Her eyes widened slightly. "I don't understand."

"The closer Shen is, the easier I can keep an eye on him. I don't know what his motives are yet; for all we know, he could be working for Ju-long. But so long as he's nearby, he can't do much to surprise us. Understood?"

She bowed her head, finally seeing her master's wisdom. "Yes, Master. I am sorry for questioning you."

"Don't be. It keeps me from becoming a rambling old fool."

"I still don't think we should tell Po."

"He'll find out eventually," Ah-lam pointed out.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But the longer we wait, the better. Telling him now would only upset and confuse him, and if he loses it, we'll be down a fighter."

"It's noble that you wish to save him from discomfort," Ah-lam said softly, "But doesn't he have a right to know?"

Tigress thought about this for a moment. "Yes, he has the right to know. But it is still better for him to not."

"How long should we keep this from him, then?" Shifu said. "Until he's on his deathbed? Tigress, this is not a good plan, and I can only see how it could lead us to trouble."

"We'll only keep it from him until after this is all over, or he figures it out himself. Then, we'll tell him. I'll take the full blame myself."

Shifu looked at her for a long moment, and then said, "This is your secret to keep, then. You know him best; if you think that this is the right thing to do, then I trust you."

"Thank you, Master."

"I think we should probably return to our rooms, before someone gets worried," Ah-lam said. They all agreed on this, and went to their respective rooms.

As Tigress lay down beside Viper, and Master Ah-lam on the other side of the room, the tiger master couldn't help but doubt her own choice. Keeping it from him was neither smart, nor would it be easy. But they had their duty to China to think of, and if Po knowing was something that could compromise that, then she had to prevent that incident.

She bit back a sigh and rolled over, trying to lull her guilty mind into sleep and attempting to ignore the fact that once again, she was caught between duty and conscience.

**Sorry this is short; I wrote it for Alicehatter239's B-day, and I only had a few days to write it (and what with my busy schedule, I'm surprised I got it done at all). Lo siento, amigos, but that's how it is.**


	11. AN: Postponement

**A/N**

** Hey, guys. I suppose you probably knew this was coming, but I've hit a bit of a rough patch with this story. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get it to work like it should… CURSE YOU WRITER'S BLOCK!**

** Anyway, I probably won't be posting another chapter for this for a LONG while… sorry, mi amigos y amigas, but when writer's block pops up, sometimes all you can do is let a story be for a while. : ( I feel I owe it to you to tell you this. I wish I could fix it, but between a hectic schedule and writer's block, I'm afraid that this story is being put on hold. Thanks for all your support, and again, I'm really, really sorry…**


	12. Chapter 12 DON'T KILL ME!

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

** A/N: **_***Cringes and raises hands in defense***_** Okay, I know it's been like four months since I updated. But I've been feeling seriously guilty lately, so… yeah. Merry Christmas. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!**

**June 24, Central China (Approx. 8:30 a.m.)**

"Everyone ready to leave?" Shifu asked.

General consent was returned, so the grandmaster said, "In that case, let's go."

As they walked out, Po noticed with surprise that Tigress had said nothing to him. Not only that, her thoughts were blocked off, mirrored. He couldn't get _anything_ from them.

_What's up with you?_ he asked. To his surprise, the thought simply bounced back at him. Tigress didn't so much as look at him.

Hours passed in this manner, without a response. He asked her several times, and each time it was like she couldn't even hear him.

When the group finally stopped for lunch, he took his fiancé by the arm and led her a ways away from the group.

"Po, what's wrong?" she said, surprised.

"You tell me. What's up? You won't talk to me."

She raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"'And?' Jeez, Tigress, did I do something wrong?"

"No, why?"

"You're totally ignoring me!"

"Of course I'm not."

"Um, yeah, you _are_. Tigress, come on, what's up?"

"Nothing is 'up,' Po. I just don't feel like talking to you every moment of the day, alright?" she answered defensively.

Po stared at her, stunned and a little hurt. "Um… okay."

Tigress instantly felt guilty for making him feel bad, but she didn't let it show on her face. "Good." She turned around and walked back to the group.

Po watched her go, confused and feeling like he'd been socked in the stomach. "What did I do?" he mumbled to himself. _It's got to be something I did. But what?_

He slowly walked back towards the others. When he got there, he put on his usual big smile and said, "So, where are we headed, Master Shifu?"

"We're traveling in the direction of the Tree Viper Clan," Shifu answered. "Viper, you know the area, correct?"

"How could I forget?" the snake answered excitedly. "How long until we get there, Master Shifu?"

"Approximately a day and a half, if we hurry."

"Then let's hurry," Ah-lam said, a small smile touching the corners of her mouth.

**Traveling**

"Hey, guys, did you notice that something's up?" Viper whispered to the others (Tigress, Shifu, Ah-lam, and Po excluded).

The men looked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?" Mantis asked.

"I believe she means Masters Tigress and Po," Mei Xing said softly.

They glanced back at the tiger master and the panda. Tigress was determinedly not looking at Po, and Po was looking down at the ground with a look of mixed concentration and guilt on his face.

"They had another fight," said Monkey, not too worried.

"Yeah, but this one seems a lot worse than usual," Crane said.

"What do you mean?" asked Hui-ying.

"Well, usually when they're fighting, both of them will be steaming mad and can't even see straight. It looks more like they're… I don't know…"

"Cold?" Viper suggested.

"Yeah. Tigress is giving him the cold shoulder, and Po looks like he'd have his tail between his legs if it was long enough."

"What do you think happened?" said Hui-ying in a hushed voice.

"I don't know," Monkey said, shrugging and looking at the two. "And I don't think Po does, either."

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Tigress looked at them. They all looked away at once.

**That Night**

Mantis blinked his tiny eyes and yawned. Looking around the campfire, he couldn't figure out what had woken him up.

The fire crackled slightly, making him jump. Hopping down off of Po's bag, where he'd been sleeping, he began to venture away from the others.

Leaving the clearing where they'd set up camp and going into the woods, he still saw nothing, felt nothing, heard nothing-

"Hello, Master Mantis."

He jumped and immediately put his hands up into fighting position. "Who are you? Where are-"

"I'm right here."

He turned and saw Hui-ying there, looking at him with an entertained grin. He noticed that her eyes were blue.

"Oh, uh, hey," he said, a little flustered. "Didn't know you were out here."

"Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Uh, something woke me up."

"That must've been me; I left about a minute ago."

He nodded. "So, um, why couldn't you sleep? Something bugging you? No pun intended."

She giggled slightly. "Not really. I just wasn't tired."

He shook himself slightly, trying to get his head back on straight after that laugh. "Really? I thought you'd be exhausted, the way Master Shifu pushed us today."

"Oh, no. Her Majesty and I walked a long ways to get to the Jade Palace."

"You _walked_ here?" Mantis said, shocked. "But the Emperor's Palace is practically on the other side of China!"

"Well, Princess Mei Xing did most of the walking. I couldn't keep up most of the time, so I rode on her shoulders, much like you do with Master Monkey." Her smile fell. "The princess was so brave…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we had to run from the Palace even before His Majesty wrote you the letter; Ju-long's men came for her earlier than we'd expected. The princess and I ran as far as we could, but those wolves were always right behind us… we barely had time to stop to sleep each night. But the princess, she never stopped walking, even in her bound feet… I don't know how she did it; it must've been horrible."

"She walked all this way in bound feet? That's incredible," Mantis said, stunned. He glanced down at Hui-ying's four back feelers. "Yours aren't bound?"

She shook her head. "Too small, Master Mantis. But Mei's were bound when she was only six, poor thing."

"You're her best friend, right?"

She nodded. "My mother was her mother's lady in waiting. We've known each other as far back as I can remember."

"She's really shy," Mantis recalled. "Not like you."

"Me? No," Hui-ying said, laughing. "But my big mouth's gotten me in trouble more times than I can count." She grinned.

"Big in a matter of speaking," he joked.

She giggled again. "You're funny, Master Mantis." She glanced back and said, "We should probably go back, before someone thinks we've been kidnapped or something. Nice talking to you, Master Mantis." She hopped away.

He watched her go for a moment, and then said in a stunned voice, "She thought I was funny!"

**A/N: Again, DON'T SHOOT ME! I'M BEGGING YOU! Please, just… press that little button there and **_**tell**_** me you hate me, instead of chasing me with torches and pitchforks.**


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